Where I Belong: A Tale of Legendary Birds
by The Last Dragonite
Summary: Lugia TF Story. Finding where you belong is never easy. I know it isn't for me. And it just gets worse when my dreams become invaded by a legendary figure. And I think it's...changing me. *COMPLETE*
1. Suddenly Silver

**This first chapter's a rewrite. I like it much better, and I hope you will too. Enjoy my pride and joy, 'Where I Belong: A Tale of Legendary Birds'!**

**Chapter 1: Suddenly Silver**

"Heh heh," I couldn't help but chuckle as I heard a loud 'AAAAUUUUGGGGH' from the hallway outside my bedroom. I loved it when my stepdad got drunk. It made for some amusing times. Maybe I'm starting on a bad note. My name's Zack and I love my life. Didn't always though. And this is how everything changed. In more ways than one.

It was always the same thing back then. Head off to a school I hated for a while, skip my drama class, and then head home and prop open a book. A few hours later, my stepdad would barge in, hardly pay me any heed, grab a few beers and... well... the rest is self-explanatory. Eventually, he had such a problem that he was lashing out at anything that moved. As well as a few things that didn't. As long as I kept my door shut, I was all good. He kept hurting himself in his drunken stupor, but it was hilarious. That may seem sadistic, but believe me, he'd do the same. I would hate that man until the day I died.

I took a glance at the picture of my mother, and shut my eyes for the night.

Or at least, I thought I did. Because about five seconds later, my bedroom door burst open and I got up quick. My stepdad barged in and I was quite surprised. He rarely, if at all, ever came in. But in a few seconds, I saw just why he was intruding.

"What's this?" He said as he thrust my mom's old bank card in my face. I didn't answer him. And that might have been my first mistake. "WHAT IS THIS KID?"

"I think that's obvious," I retorted. And almost immediately, I regretted it. Because in two seconds, I was on the floor, groaning in pain from a punch to the stomach.

"Since when was this here? How much money does she have? HOW LONG HAVE I BEEN IN THE TOILET FOR NO REASON?"

"It's not...yours..."

"Oh? Then whose is it?" I cringed for what came next. I hated it when he got this way. Or any way really. It usually involved him telling me how worthless I was. Not that I believed him. I'd heard them all. There's nothing he could say that I hadn't already knew to be a complete load. "Certainly not yours! So give me the pin number kid!" I said nothing. So as a result I was given another swift punch to the ribs. "TELL ME!"

"GO TO HELL!" I yelled just before receiving a kick to the face. That was gonna leave a mark. But it was worth it. There was no way I'd let him get a cent of my mother's money.

"You're pathetic!" Oh here it came. At least he'd be insulting me instead of giving me more incentive. It was satisfying to know he wasn't getting what he wanted, but satisfaction sure does hurt. "You and your mother! The both of you!" I froze. This was a new one. He never brought up my mother. Ever. "I never should've married her if I knew I'd be landed with you! She was just a filthy-!"

I don't remember specifics of what happened next. All I remember is the anger inside growing and growing to a feverous level. There was a volcano in my stomach that wouldn't stop erupting. I remember wailing on my stepfather multiple times. And flames. I remember flames. All I recall after that is feeling that anger disappear. I remember the feeling so vividly. I felt all that anger at one point then a few seconds later, something calmed me down. I mean immediately, like I wasn't the one doing it. Something made me relax. Anything besides that is a complete blank.

Can dreams be real? I ask that question because this is what happened next. Pay attention because this gets strange. After I blacked out, there was something I felt. Peaceful? No, that's not it. Comfortable? Definitely not. Safe? Yeah, that would do. I could live with safe. I felt something else as well. Or rather, I didn't feel something. I didn't feel like myself at all. Almost like my body was gone and I was just a spirit, adrift in the void. I opened my eyes and I was in darkness. Not complete darkness, though. There was a blue circle of light in front of me. But this is the strange thing. I was floating. I was floating in this semi-darkness. That's when I saw a shadow. A shadow in darkness? I was confused for a second, but looking up at the blue circle of light, I understood. There was another presence here. It looked like a bird, but it was HUGE. I'm serious, it was in the shape of a bird, but it was as big as a whale. It looked fifteen feet tall, give or take a couple feet. It had a long neck with a head that had a pointed top. It had a very long tail, as well as what looked like spikes coming out of its back. I couldn't make out specifics like colour or features. It was completely shrouded in shadow. My mind was still pretty woozy, but I think- No, I know it was talking. It was calling out to me.

_Ventus... Ventus..._

Its voice echoed in my brain. I don't know whether it was my mind still being a bit rocky, or the bird itself, but its voice- No, _his _voice seemed to calm me down. The worried feelings I had about this place seemed to melt away as he spoke. As for what he was saying, I was pretty sure that Ventus was a name.

_Ventus... Ventus... come..._

"Huh? Who… who is Ventus?"

_Ventus... come... come..._

I thought it couldn't hear me. I kept wondering what I was doing here. And who this Ventus was, as well as the mystery behind this thing, whatever he was. But what the bird said next confused me even more.

_Ventus...come...come home..._

That's when I woke up.

Don't get me wrong. It's not like I wanted to leave that dream. Like I said, I felt safe in there. But I can't help it if someone slams the door to my hospital room, I mean- Wait, hospital room? Yeah, I woke up in a hospital bed. Well, maybe 'wake up' isn't the right term to use. I only opened my eyes for a second before closing them again, annoyed that someone woke me up. I tried to get back to sleep, but no luck. I was tired, _really _tired, but no sleep for me. Instead, I listened to those doctors just outside my door. Hey, had to do something right?

"What's his prognosis doctor?" An obvious nurse asked outside.

"From the fire, he's perfectly fine," the reply came from what sounded like your typical doctor. He sounded old and experienced. But I didn't care about that at the moment. The fire he spoke of was what worried me the most. But if he said I was fine from it, I guess there was nothing to worry about. "But there's something else I noticed."

"What is it?"

"He has many cuts and bruises. All of which he can't receive for just being in a burning building. It's obvious that he's been in a fight or six. Did you speak with his neighbors? Might they know something about this?"

"They said that he doesn't leave the house much. They told me that he doesn't really go out with any friends or anything like that. Apparently his stepfather keeps him at home."

"Hmm, did his neighbors see how he got out of the house? The fire department apparently found him outside the place, as well as his stepfather."

"Well, normally I'd consider this crazy and keep it to myself, but they all said the same thing. The house was burning and all the neighbors were looking at it, hoping the two of them got out. Apparently the kid kicked down the BURNING DOOR and dragged his stepfather out of there like a rag doll. Apparently the stepfather was unconscious. After that he, well, apparently he kicked his stepfather a few times straight in the torso, which could explain the cracked ribs he has. After that, the kid fell unconscious too. Landed flat on his back."

The woman was speaking hysterically. She had a right to be because I didn't remember any of that. I was starting to panic as well. That was all I needed to hear, in any case. I immediately assumed that I caused the fire.

I opened my eyes and tore the covers of the hospital bed off me and quietly got up, making my way to the wardrobe by the bed. The room wasn't that big, it just had a bed, the wardrobe and a box that I assumed had my personal belongings that I had on me in it on a table at the foot of the bed. I yanked the doors of the wardrobe open and found my clothes inside. I got out of that hospital robe and changed into my usual attire. It wasn't anything too flashy, it's not worth mentioning. I then moved on to the box at the end of the bed and only took out the things that would be of the most help. I grabbed my wallet of course. I'd need that. I left the cell phone inside, as I didn't think I'd be calling anyone. What I took out of there next was my pocket knife and my wristwatch. That was all I thought I needed, but a few seconds later I knew I was wrong.

I was about to head out the window. Yeah, I was running away. Running away from this stupid life, anyway. At least I thought I was leaving, but then I saw something in the box that I didn't recognize. At first I wasn't sure what to do with it. It looked like a feather, but it seemed to be made of metal or something. Upon picking it up I realized that it wasn't metal, it was just silver. A silver feather. What's stranger is that it was in the exact same shade of silver as, well, my hair. I was just going to ditch it, but I held on. Something was telling me to keep it. I decided not to argue with myself and put the feather in my jacket pocket.

That's when I heard some footsteps coming to my door. I didn't know it, but that was my stepdad, out to punish me. But by that time, I was out the window, climbing down the tree that was planted just outside my window. As soon as I was down, I ran. I ran until I was far downtown. A few people stared at me when I came bolting down the sidewalk for no apparent reason, but I ignored them. When I stopped running, it was only when I had found what I was looking for. A bank. Before she died, my mom apparently knew all about my stepdad, because she gave me her bank account numbers. She told me to use it in case I ever needed to get out of that house.

The bank tellers seemed to find it strange that I would be taking every cent in the account with me on the streets, but I knew the police would be looking for me when I disappeared. I couldn't make another transaction for fear of being traced. I stashed all the cash I could in my pockets without making it look obvious that I had a whole lot of cash on me. Let me tell you, it wasn't easy, but I managed. The truth is, I was planning on running away weeks before. I even had a schedule for the ferry memorized. I just had to take a quick bus trip to the terminal and I'd be there in no time. Little did I know that what was waiting for me at that ferry terminal.

The bus ride to the Horseshoe Bay terminal was pretty uneventful, but it gave me time to think. Unfortunately, when I think, it's deadly for me.

Ventus. That name kept popping into my head. It's not like it felt familiar or anything, or did it? I wasn't sure. But one thing was for certain. When I said the name out loud to myself, I felt warm nostalgia. The words Deja Vu definitely came to mind. After hours of getting nowhere with these thoughts, I realized that the bus had arrived at the ferry terminal.

As soon as I got off the bus, everything went to hell. I mean RIGHT AWAY. The very moment I stepped off that bus, it happened. The sky went dark. I don't mean clouds slowly went across it, I mean it dramatically turned from blue to a dank purple. I didn't believe what I was seeing, but it was happening. As if that wasn't hard enough to believe, the sky was beginning to ripple. As if it were an over-sized pond, and somebody threw in a whole load of rocks in it. And from those ripples, certain forms began to take shape. Monstrous bird-like beings began to take shape and form out of thin air in the sky. These creatures were rather large in size, having a wingspan of seven feet. They looked to be made of what could only be described as slime. It looked like they were made up of this purple slime that matched the colour of the sky at that moment.

At first I just thought I was seeing things, that I was hallucinating, or that I was the only one experiencing this. But I kept forgetting that today just wasn't my day. Almost every bystander around me screamed in terror. I myself could hardly believe what I was seeing. Hundreds of these bird-like creatures flew down from the sky, creating a virtual fence around the terminal, keeping everyone in. Then, one creature in particular that seemed to be larger than the rest hovered directly above the terminal. And I really just couldn't fathom what happened next.

"We know that you are among these humans," it said. It actually _said _that, with an eerie voice for a complete package of villainy. "Humans! No harm will befall you. IF you hand him over. Relinquish Ventus to us or be annihilated."

There was that name again. Ventus. If he was here and these dark creatures were looking for him, then that could only mean that they were somehow related to the creature I saw in my dream. And if that were true, then, well, I had no idea of what to make of it. I swallowed hard as sweat bled onto my brow.

"You have one hour Ventus," the dark bird leader was hovering higher and higher. "If you do not come forward, everyone here dies!"

I remember thinking that that Ventus guy really should've stood up and let himself be seen. That he should have done it soon. But that wasn't to be the case.

"You, buddy, get over here!" I heard a raspy voice call out to me. I turned to look. Something small was gesturing me to come into a dark alleyway between two of the small structures in the terminal. When I say small, I mean small. I couldn't see the thing that was gesturing me to come forward. All I could tell was that it was about a foot tall. I looked at the figure, then at the dark birds, then back at the figure and followed it into the alley, without hesitation.

"It's great that I finally found you," said the small figure as I looked down upon it. "You got it right? The Silver Wing?"

"The wha-? What are you talking about?" I asked in response.

"What? Are you telling me you don't know a thing? Geez, I thought you'd be a little smarter than this Ventus."

"Ventus? You've got the wrong guy. Name's Zack."

"No, that's your human name. I'm talking about your real name."

I rolled my eyes. This guy sounded delusional to me.

"Look just follow me," he said as he went for a nearby ladder. He climbed it surprisingly fast and zipped over the side of the building. (If you've ever been to a Ferry terminal you know these buildings are about five meters tall) I followed suit, figuring it couldn't get much weirder. Sometimes I get really tired of being wrong.

When I climbed that ladder and got onto the roof of the building, the figure was finally in the light. I could see who it really was. Hey, if you've believed me so far, then this shouldn't come as a shock. What was looking back at me, was a yellow mouse. A foot-tall yellow mouse. It was standing on two legs, and the tips of its pointy ears had a black colour. It had a tail shaped like a lightning bolt, and half of said tail had a tinge of brown. And to top it all off, its cheeks were red.

"What the-? What are you?" I asked, doing nothing short of spluttering the question.

"A Pokémon. A Pikachu to be precise," he replied.

"What's a Pokémon?" I asked. Hey, you would've asked a lot of questions too if this was happening to you.

"There's no time to explain," he retorted, "do you have the Silver Wing or not?"

"Listen, I don't know what you're talking abou-" well at least at first I didn't. But then I remembered. I reached into my jacket pocket and found what I was looking for. The silver feather I had found at the hospital. I took it out and showed it to the 'Pikachu', who literally jumped for joy.

"Yeah that's it! Okay, go ahead and use it!"

"USE IT?" I screamed at the top of my lungs. "HOW AND WHY WOULD I USE A FEATHER TO DO ANYTHING?"

The Pikachu smacked his forehead. He was apparently getting impatient.

"Okay look," he said with a great amount of restraint, "just look at the Silver Wing for a few seconds. I'm sure it'll come to you."

I sighed, this was going nowhere fast. But I stared at the feather anyway. I didn't feel anything for a few seconds, but then something sparked. I wasn't sure if it was the feather or me, but something was happening. My heart started beating faster, and I was taking quicker breaths. I didn't know what happened that day, but at that moment, it was as if I stepped back and let someone else take over.

Apparently I was attracting a lot of attention, because at that time, every one of those dark birds within a ten meter radius started to fly right at me. I had no idea why they were doing it, but they seemed to be only after me. They even let a few people get away, in order to swoop in on me. They didn't really need hostages anymore, because even though I didn't know it then, they had found who they were looking for. They however, failed in this attempt to kill that person. Because...well why don't I tell you?

As the birds came at me, I knew what I had to do.

"Silver," I held the Silver Wing up, taking a breath before the real party started. "Soul!"

Okay, first of all, you have to realize that I had no idea what I was doing. I was winging it. And man, if I only knew how literal that statement was about to get. First of all, when I said "Silver Soul" there was a light emanating from the feather. When those birds entered into said light, they looked to be in dire pain. Then the light focused around me specifically. The light became so intense, if I was outside of it, I would've seen myself being wrapped in an orb of light. No one could see me from outside that light. Even I didn't quite know what was going on.

At first I thought I was feeling pain. My body felt like it was being pulled apart by ropes coming from all different directions. I felt like my bones would be ripped apart. But suddenly I realized that I wasn't in any pain at all. In fact I felt as if a great weight was lifting off me. It felt good, it felt...right. All I could see was the bright white light. But I could definitely feel my body changing. I could feel my arms morphing, growing. I could feel my fingers grow thin and flat, and yet I still felt each of the digits. Next up were my legs. They grew as well, but what surprised me is what happened after my feet grew to their full potential. I only felt three toes. But I soon forgot about that as I could feel I was gaining some girth. I could tell that I was getting heavier and pretty massive overall. Finally, my neck. Yeah, my neck was getting longer also. And with the neck, my face changed shape as well, though that feeling didn't last long. And did I feel a tail?

When the light faded and my eyes adjusted, I saw that I had grown taller, by at least five feet. And since I was around five feet tall before, well, you do the math. That's when I heard the most horrifying shrieking I'd ever heard. Seriously, this sounded like twenty sets of nails scratching a chalkboard. I looked up and blinked. I saw that the dark birds that had been gravely affected by the light were now dissolving into thin air. Their grimy figures dripped _upwards, _right back into the dark sky. On closer inspection, I realized that the light hadn't actually faded. But I couldn't tell where the source was. I didn't seem to have that silver feather on me anymore. I got my answer when I looked down.

I had certainly grown. In more ways than one, as I had grown to at least ten feet, not to mention that I was now a bird. My heart was beating fast again, but this time I was just plain scared. I saw that my plumage mostly ranged in a silvery to white range of colour, but most of my chest had a clearly blue texture. I looked at what used to be my hands and saw two magnificent wings there instead. I admit it. They looked pretty cool, but I was frantic. My neck was so long that I could get a good look at my back. I appeared to have ten square plates that were the same colour as my blue feathers. And yes, I even had a tail... with two spikes at the end of it.

I tried to yell. To express how scared I was, but all that came out of my mouth was a melodious terrified wail.

_What's going on? _I thought in my panicked state. _What happened to me?_

_Nothin' happened to you. _I heard a voice echo in my brain. There was no sound, but it was like someone was inputting thoughts into my mind. _You're just well, waking up in a way. _I looked around for the origin of these thoughts and found... who else? The Pikachu was looking up at me with a dumb little smirk on his face. _Nice new body, not as big as your dad, but you'll grow._ _Listen Ven. Can I call you Ven? Or do you like Ventus better?_

I knew I couldn't speak, but the Pikachu had apparently heard my thoughts before so why not now right? _You can call me Zack! And you've got about three seconds to explain what's going on! How come I'm like this? Why were you talking before and not now? And why are we only talking through thought huh? You some kind of… telepath?_

_No but you are. Did you really not notice that I wasn't even opening my mouth before? You were hearing my thoughts, and your human brain made you think I was talking. If I really talked it would come out like this. _The Pikachu stopped transmitting thoughts for a second and tried to talk. And when I say 'tried' I meant it. The words "Pika-pika, pikachu," were the only things I heard. _See what I mean?_

_Okay, but what am I? What did you do to me? _I got a little angry at that point. Wouldn't you if you were confused and terrified for your life?

_Whoa, whoa, calm down buddy. I wouldn't be complaining if I were you. _

_I'VE JUST BEEN TRANSFORMED INTO A GIANT BIRD! I THINK I DESERVE AN EXPLANATION!_

_You're right. But just note that you won't believe me._

_From what I've seen so far, you can bet I'll have an open mind about anything._

_I know. But this is REALLY far-fetched._

_Just tell me!_

_Alright, alright just- whoa! _Pikachu's thoughts were interrupted by an onslaught of the dark birds. They came flying at us, forcing the Pikachu to get out of the way, and stop with the explanation. The light had stopped emanating from me and now we had nothing to keep them at bay. It was time to see if I could use these wings. It wasn't long before I realized that I was a natural. The moment I flapped my wings, my mind told me what to do and how to do it. I rose high above the dark birds, letting them follow me up. When the time was right, I arced backwards, making a loop and slamming into the birds with my wings. And just as before, the birds dissolved back into the sky. However, more of these birds came straight at me, all of them shrieking and desperately clawing at me. I was about to defend myself, but that voice that was telling me what to do told me to calm down. I knew what to do. I glared at the birds and felt my eyes do something. The many birds coming at me seemed to stop mid-flight. Even though their eyes seemed to be non-existent, they seemed to be staring right at my own eyes. Just as I thought, my eyes seemed to have some kind of power over them. The birds then turned around and started fighting amongst themselves. They were easy pickings after that. I swooped in and tore into them with a slam from my tail.

I would've continued as I'd done so far, but once again I felt as though I had to do something different. I felt an energy radiating in me, originating from my heart. It worked its way up my neck and started gathering together when a ball of gold energy sparked at my mouth. I let it build until I couldn't anymore. I aimed the energy in the form of a beam perfectly at a mass congregation of the birds. They dispersed instantly, but I didn't stop there. I kept the beam of energy flowing and destroying birds until they had all been completely disposed of. The amazing thing was that no innocent bystander was hit in the process. I started to descend softly, letting my wings catch the air so that I'd have a light descent.

But I wasn't done yet.

"Ventus!" It didn't take me long to realize that that name seemed to be what these things liked to call me and I turned upwards to see who was making the racket. I saw that it was the leader that had originally gone out for Ventus' blood. He was now trying to get me to stick around for one last brawl. "Are you a coward?"

I was a lot of things right then. Scared and confused, but cowardly wasn't on that list. I didn't know why I flew straight up to that thing's level of altitude, why I chose to fight it. All I knew is that this thing was going to hurt people. And a big part of me knew that it was me who would have to protect them. I felt that same energy pulsating inside me again. In seconds I had that golden ball of energy at my disposal again. Unfortunately, this thing was a little quicker than the others. It flew out of the way just in time for every shot I took at it. It was certainly used to this whole fighting while flying thing. After making dodges aplenty, it arced around me and before I could catch up with it, it was already on the offensive.

A hole, yes I'm serious, a hole opened up in its chest, revealing a giant orb of purple light within. This orb worked like my beam of energy did, except this beam was coming after me. I tried to get out of the way, I even did... once. But after that one strong upstroke to dodge, it all went downhill. The thing hit me with multiple bursts of that dark energy and I had no idea what to do. You got to understand, this stuff was painful. It felt as if every time I was hit by the stuff, a dozen knives were puncturing my lungs. Mostly because this attack was only hitting the broad part of my chest. I cried out in pain, that musically in-tone wail the only thing sounding from my beak. I couldn't think I couldn't move and I'm not embarrassed to say that I was scared. I couldn't take this pain any longer.

_Don't give in._

Those three words seemed to hold the world still. That voice was in my head, just like that Pikachu's was.

_You are strong, never forget that. Now you must realize that strength. Use the Surge of Soul._

_Surge of Soul? What is that? _I thought back in response. Y'know, the more I think about this, the weirder it sounds.

_There is no time to explain. I cannot speak with you for long. Trust your heart, and you will find the answers you need._

That was it. The voice was gone, but it told me what to do. I thought long and hard, searching for the power to do this 'Surge of Soul', and only seconds later I found what I was looking for. A spark of power made my heart beat like a drum. I felt power coursing throughout my body. Every inch felt totally invoked with strength. That's when I realized I wasn't feeling anymore pain. I looked to see that the blasts were being deflected by a strange blue aura flowing around me. And I knew just what to do with it. In my mind, I screamed _SURGE OF SOUL! _And like magic, the aura flew, yes flew off me. It was like there was a second me. It looked like my new body except it had no features. It was just a blue blob of aura. This thing flew itself straight towards the dark bird, who still had a giant hole in its chest that showcased the purple sphere of light. It collided with it head on, and then the bird... exploded. I'm dead serious. It shattered and what was left of it dissolved into the dark sky. And then, the sky rippled again and slowly but surely turned back to its original colour. I breathed a sigh of relief. This nightmare was over. But there was still one left. Can't remember what it was? Well I seemed to still have a dire case of WINGS AND FEATHERS, and I wasn't the only one worried about my appearance.

From down below I heard screams. Yeah. Even though I had just saved all their lives, the people below were terrified of me. Most just screamed and ran, but some of the security guards took a different approach. They shot at me. How's that for a thank you? I flew high enough so that they were out of range, but I still had to deal with another problem. Me. I was terrified at the fact that these people were terrified of me. I felt like a monster. I looked for a way out of this and my instincts drove me to the ocean. I didn't fight the urge and flew straight out to sea. If I had been paying attention to anyone else's thoughts, I would've heard the Pikachu, screaming out: _HEY! YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO TAKE ME WITH YOU, 'YA MORON!_

When I was sure that I was far enough out in the water to know that I wasn't going to be under fire, I looked to the waves, at my reflection. I really did look intimidating. I didn't think I looked like anything to be scared of though. In fact, I thought I looked pretty cool. This was the first time I was able to take a good look at my face. My head was now V-shaped with a 'mask' growing around my new eyes. I now had two miniature incisors on the inside of my semi-bird beak. My head looked more like that of a dragon than a bird.

But no matter how awesome I thought I looked, that didn't change the fact that I was no longer human. How would I be accepted into any sort of civilized society? I cried. My tears of pain, rage, and frustration slithered from my eyes, dropping into the water. I was alone now. And that didn't have a hope of changing anytime soon.

**End of chapter one!**

**Wow, you would not believe how much the inspiration for this story was bugging the hell out of me. I couldn't even get to sleep with this idea in my head. That's not an exaggeration that's for real. **

**See y'all later. **


	2. A Friend

**Chapter 2: A Friend**

"Hey, you okay?" My eyes twitched quite a bit as my mind got working again. I felt like I was waking up from a very long sleep. You know the feeling, when no matter what position you get in, it's always more comfortable than the last. But unfortunately, I couldn't snooze all day, mostly because someone was telling me to wake up. "Come on, stop freaking me out! I know you're breathing!"

At first I couldn't remember a thing that I'd been doing. I thought I was back at home, about to go through another normal day. But then the realization hit me like a brick wall. What I was sleeping on wasn't a mattress, far from it. It was sand. That fact wasn't very interesting at this point because I remembered that I was still a giant bird. I also remembered that I couldn't speak, so this person shaking me awake wouldn't understand me. I had to try to communicate through thought.

_Aren't you scared? _Is what I thought. No answer. I tried again, but either there was something wrong with the telepathy I had received just a few hours ago, or the person was gone. And I was still being shaken awake. So, naturally I tried to speak, getting ready for that saddened wail. Boy was I surprised.

"Aren't you scared?" I nearly fell unconscious again. I just spoke, something that I shouldn't be able to do as a bird.

"Scared of what?" The girl asked. By this time, I had figured out she was a girl. It didn't take a genius. What was weird was that she didn't sound nervous or anything of the sort. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I think I'll live," I replied. I didn't feel in pain at all, just a little drowsy, although I did have a small headache. I held my head with my... HAND? My eyes opened up wide. I stared at my hand like it was an old friend that I hadn't seen for years. Had I really turned human again? After about three seconds, I found my answer. Everything was back to normal. It's like I hadn't transformed in the first place, my human body was completely... well, human. The only difference was that I apparently had a change of wardrobe when I made the switch back to my human form. Don't get me wrong, I was glad to be wearing anything at all. After leaving my human form behind I thought my clothes had-

Well you get the picture. But these weren't the clothes I was wearing before I took on that bird form. I had a light blue T-shirt under a zip-up hoodie that was completely white. I had another pair of cargo pants on, but these were the same shade of white as my new hoodie. I was also wearing some white sandals with blue coloured streaks on them.

I sat up and brushed the sand off my arms. I then looked to the girl who was just shaking me awake. I'm just going to go on the record and say she was cute. She was about my age, she had brown curly hair that had grown to her shoulders, she was cute, she had brown eyes, she was cute, she was wearing jeans with a blue T-shirt ensemble, and did I mention she was cute?

I stared at her like an idiot for a second before snapping out of it. "Uh, thanks for that."

She breathed a sigh of relief and sat down beside me. "That's good, when I saw you washed up on shore I thought you were a goner."

"Shore?" I asked as I finally noticed the ocean right in front of me. I looked behind me and I saw an array of palm trees. I looked back at the ocean and sighed. For some reason when I looked at the waves, my heart started beating a mile a minute.

"So are you like those people on those corny shows who get amnesia when they wash up on shore or what? Do you know what happened?"

"Uh..." I was hesitant to say anything. On the one hand, if I told her what had really happened she'd think I was crazy. But on the other hand, I couldn't keep something this big a secret. Mostly because it was tearing me up inside. I felt alone and confused and I couldn't take it.

After I had sent those dark birds packing and headed out to sea, I didn't know what to do next. I had wings, so I just flew. I didn't care where. I just wanted to go somewhere where I could just live. I didn't care if I had to find some deserted island somewhere. I needed to see a place where no one would be afraid of me. After about one hour of flying in no particular direction, I ran into some bad luck. A major headwind came, and I wasn't sure if it was the sudden changing of wind direction or my own clumsiness, but I was tossed into the ocean's raging currents. I wasn't that big of an expert on birds, but I'm pretty sure it was hard to fly when your feathers got wet. When I hit the surf, I didn't take in a lot of air. I tasted salt water as I sank beneath the waves. I closed my eyes and flailed around wildly in the water, I didn't calm down, I panicked.

In other words, if I didn't find out that I could breathe underwater in that form, I would've been fish food. When I couldn't hold it in any more, I exhaled. I expected it to feel painful when I had to inhale. But when I did, I opened my eyes in surprise. It was like I was still breathing air, the water didn't hinder my ability to, y'know, _live, _at all. Not only that, but my eyes pierced through the water like a knife through butter. I could see more clearly in water than I could above the surface. That's when I tried swimming, and it was great. Not only was I a better swimmer as a bird, but the feeling of swimming in that form was incredible. I could manipulate the water like clay, and not just that, but I could pull off all sorts of maneuvers in the big blue. Somersaults, barrel rolls, backflips, you name it, and I pulled off every one I could.

I couldn't remember the last time I had so much fun. It's like I was meant to be in water all my life. It made me completely forget that I had become this creature that could live both above and below water. It took a few minutes, but I soon realized that I was hungry. So, as I was in the ocean, I caught some fish...literally. When I came across a school of fish that had some members that looked pretty plump, I gave some a quick smack with my feet, giving them a painless end. I was hungry not cruel. After that, I scarfed them down, one at a time. That's right, I ate them whole. Normally I wouldn't, but my instincts told me to, and I wasn't about to argue with myself. I gotta say, they tasted pretty good. The bones were a little crunchy, but they were the best part, and I never thought I'd say that.

Once I had eaten my fill, I realized that maybe being this...thing, wouldn't be so bad. If I had to live my whole life underwater, well, that'd be fine by me. In fact, I was looking forward to it. But then a thought hit me. If I was going to live underwater, I should really _live _underwater. And I knew where the best waves in the world were. I headed to the surface and poked my head above it to check where the sun was setting. Since I saw which way was West, I knew in which direction to head south.

I decided that going to California was the best choice for living underwater. My mom had taken me there when she came into same money and we were able to afford a vacation. I loved that trip. The water especially. I had always felt like a natural in the water, but there was something about the waves in California that made them special. In any case, it felt like the perfect place for me. I decided to swim rather than fly because I enjoyed it more.

It didn't take long, I was _really _fast. I made it to where I wanted to be in hours. I knew it because I smelled the unmistakeable scent of Malibu air when I poked my head out of the water. Then came the hard part. Finding a place where I wouldn't be disturbed by day to day swimmers. It took a while, but I eventually saw a rock formation far off the shore that went down thirty feet deep. It looked a lot like a miniature underwater plateau, except from what I could tell, it was completely hollow. I saw a cave opening in the bottom of the formation that looked to go pretty deep. That would definitely be a great home for me. I started swimming towards it, feeling a little tired from my first day in my awesome new form. Despite hating it in the first place, I had grown to liking this new body. I was already prepared to live my life like that.

But fate had other ideas apparently. I don't know what happened next. I either fainted from the sheer happiness that I wouldn't live out my life as some sort of freak, or a major shock went through my body. As I felt said shock, I decided on the latter. It didn't feel painful in the slightest, but my mind felt a surprising shock. That small jolt in my brain caused my limbs to grow weak. My eyelids felt as though they had weights tied to them. Needless to say, I couldn't stay awake. I blacked out and let my body sink into the currents.

From what I could gather, I washed up on shore the following day. I looked at the girl. She had no clue about any of these events. She was just a girl who found someone knocked out on the beach and was trying to help. I decided it best not to tell her the whole truth.

"I don't know how I got here," I said, "but I'm pretty sure I don't have amnesia." It was the truth, technically. "Anyway, name's Zack, and you are?"

"Amy, nice to meet you," she answered. "So, do you live around here or what? I'm guessing from the tattoo that that's a yes?"

"Tattoo?"

"Um, hello? The one on your hand."

"My hand?" I took a look at the back of my right hand and saw it. I definitely had something that looked like a tattoo, but not quite. The "tattoo" looked exactly like the silver feather that I had picked up back in the hospital. And when I touched it, it felt more like a feather than a tattoo. That was certainly weird, but hey, I'd dealt with weirder over the past twenty-four hours.

"Not quite," I said sadly. At this point I figured it was time to lie. "I, uh, was on a cruise with my family. I remember going overboard, but I think I hit my head on the way down. Sure enough, here I am." Lucky for me, I was an actor. She bought it hook, line and sinker.

"Oh. Yeah, I did see a cruise ship last night. Guess that was the one huh?"

"Must've been," I was glad she was a little naive. Then came the hard aspect. Giving her the slip so I could find out what was going on. "Anyway, thanks for the help. Catch 'ya later." I got up and turned to leave, but she had other ideas. She grabbed my arm and held me back.

"Wait a second, where're you going? You don't exactly have anywhere to go, do you?"

"Listen, I appreciate getting me up before the tide came in, but I got this. I'll just, uh, call the coast guard and-"

"Get real!" She snapped at me. She obviously wasn't as gullible as I made her out to be. "Listen, I'm gonna help you whether you like it or not! Now, we're gonna call the coast guard, then you're gonna stay at my place for the night, and then you're getting back on that cruise with your family! Okay?"

"Uh, yeah, o-okay," I was a little shocked that she would just burst out like that. Of course, I then had a problem. The cruise ship may have existed but my "family" didn't. At some point I was going to have to ditch her.

"Alright, we'll try and get in contact with that ship," is what the guy at the coast guard outpost said when we told him the 'situation'. "You kids go on home, I've got your phone number so I'll call you when we find something."

"Right, thanks," Amy replied. She then grabbed me by the arm and dragged me out of there. She was incredibly insistent.

"Y'know, I can walk by myself," I said when we left the outpost.

"Just c'mon, you've only got one day to see this place, and I want to make your only visit memorable."

"What?" She was doing more than she said she would. She was giving me the grand tour. If she would just let go it would be the perfect time to get away. But she had a strong grip, so much so that my arm felt like putty. She obviously went to the gym a lot.

Despite all that, I actually had a good time. We were soon taking a bus to Los Angeles. She had paid my fare to my protest, seeing as how all my cash had disappeared, I couldn't exactly pay for it myself. I found out that I had washed up at Long Beach, and Amy always made an early bus trip out there every weekend to catch the best waves for surfing. Yep, she was a surfer girl. She had gone out early on that Saturday, and found me. She had called her folks ahead of time, and they were alright with me staying for a little while.

Later on, we had made it the city, where it was nothing like where I was from. In Vancouver, all of the buildings didn't have that much space in between them, but here, everything was spaced apart. It looked like the suburbs but it wasn't. This was the main part of the city according to Amy. Before we made the eventual trip to her place, Amy gave me a tour of L.A. that I wouldn't soon forget. She took me to her favorite slice of the city, the sports district. She was a tomboy if anything. She was all about the athletic stuff. It may have been summer, but at her school, she was the sports girl. She was on the running team, the swimming team, the soccer team, the baseball team, you name the team, she was on it. Even the chess team, yeah, she was pretty smart too.

She took me to help her find some new equipment. She brought me along as she tried out some baseball bats, hockey sticks, soccer balls, well, you get the picture. To top it all off, she just so happened to have season tickets for the L.A. Dodgers. I had never been to a baseball game before, and she almost smacked me when she heard those words. She took me right to the stadium for the next game that was conveniently happening in the same afternoon. I didn't know baseball could be so engaging, I just hadn't taken note of it before. Of course, it helped that I had someone cool to experience it with. The tickets she had weren't half bad. We were in the fifth row, right down the left field foul line. She had apparently won them in a contest, which made sense of the fact that they were that good.

When the sun touched the horizon, I prepared for the cold temperatures that would come, but on the contrary, they never did. Amy looked a little chilly, but I still felt just right. I wondered what the difference was and then it struck me. It was the new clothes. I looked at my new outfit, feeling freaked out again. It was the first time I had actually touched the clothes and I was amazed. It didn't feel like any kind of fabric I'd ever felt. In fact, it felt like flesh. I didn't focus on anything else, not even when Amy screamed in my ear once the Dodgers scored their first homerun. I looked once again at the mark now engraved on my right hand. There was one question that wouldn't stop coming up in my head. What happened to me?

There was no time to think about any of that though. I would talk about the first seven innings of the baseball game, but that was completely boring compared to what happened during the seventh inning stretch. Because that's when I figured out that Amy was more than someone I randomly met. During that time, I found out that Amy would be my closest, and best, friend.

During the first five seconds of the break for the fans, the sky went dark. You read right. The sky went to that same purple colour as it had at the ferry terminal. The words, oh crap, oh crap, oh crap, oh sweet crap, came to mind more than once. The sky rippled, just as it had done before, but unlike the last time, only a single figure was forming above the stadium. Its dark slimy form was slowly being realized as it manifested itself. Many people were already getting out of there, including the ball players, and it was a smart decision as well. I would've gotten out of there too, but I was waiting. Waiting for one of those dark birds to appear. It never did. A dark bird never appeared in that sky. I say that because what was materializing was completely different from what happened earlier. It still had the same grimy form as the others, but the shape was unlike them in every way.

What was appearing from the dark sky, was a dragon. The giant lizard was being formed right before my eyes, with all its features intact. It looked like a Chinese dragon with its long serpentine body. It let out a horrifying screech, causing almost everyone in the stadium to drop to their knees, holding their ears as they heard it. Even Amy. I on the other hand, seemed to be immune. I knelt down beside her and covered her ears. She blinked a few times as I did so. She didn't seem to be affected either once I was covering her ears. That's when I saw everyone who was hearing the shriek drop. They all had fallen unconscious. I let Amy's ears go and helped her to her feet. She was too confused to even speak. I looked up at the dark dragon, figuring that it would soon be saying the same dribble that the bird did. Sure enough, it did.

"Face me Ventus!" It said in the villainous, echoing voice the bird had. "You must not be allowed to live!"

I remember being annoyed at the fact that these things kept calling me Ventus. The dark bird leader, that Pikachu, and now this dragon thing. It was rather annoying. But that didn't matter at that point because it was opening its mouth, and there was a bright purple light building up inside of it. It was very much like how the dark bird had hit me with that dark energy earlier, and I guessed that the results would be the same here. I pulled Amy out of the just in time to avoid the blast. We were both thrown to the ground from the resulting shockwave. I looked back and saw a crater where we were just standing. We helped each other to our feet. Amy seemed to have recovered from shock.

We didn't have much time before the next blast and I was getting desperate to get Amy out of there. I had no choice. It was time to show her my secret.

"Amy," I began, putting my hands on her shoulders, "you need to answer this now. Do you trust me?"

"Wh-what?" She stuttered in response.

"Do you trust me?"

"Uh, yeah."

"Then hang on to my shoulders," I said, turning around so she could do so. "Close your eyes and don't open them until I tell you. And whatever you do, for the love of God, hang on!"

"Why?" She asked as she grabbed my shoulders.

"Close your eyes," she did so, even though I ignored her question. I looked at the back of my right hand again, at the silver feather marking. I didn't know if I would be able to transform again. Hell, I didn't even know if I'd be able to change back to human form. All I knew was that I needed to get us out of there.

I closed my own eyes, and searched for that power I felt the first time I transformed. I found it easily. When I opened my eyes, I saw that the mark on my hand was glowing. Perfect. I then said the magic words that tied it all together.

"Silver Soul!"

Upon saying these words, I was surrounded by the same orb of white light. I still felt Amy hanging on, but the light wasn't affecting her in the slightest. I felt the familiar expanding of my limbs, and the sense that I had a lot of weight being lifted off my shoulders. In a matter of seconds the light faded, and I was the big bad bird again.

"What's going on?" Amy asked, her eyes still closed. "Did you just get taller or something?"

_Yeah, _I thought, making sure the thought got through to her brain. I had learned from my past experience. I didn't have long to chat though, I made a quick upstroke to avoid the second blast from the dark dragon. I heard Amy scream, she hadn't expected that. But like I said earlier, she had a strong grip, and she wasn't letting go anytime soon. I soared high above the stadium, and, while dodging the many energy blasts from the dragon, I headed over the side of the stadium and made a quick descent. I leaned back once I landed, looking at the outside of the stadium. The dragon's roar had apparently reached out here. Everyone I saw was unconscious, they had all dropped, even the ones who weren't in the stadium at the time. There were a few cars that had crashed into each other. But lucky for me, I could use the telepathy I gained in my new form to sense that no one outside was hurt.

_You can let go now, _I thought to Amy. She let go, but she didn't open her eyes. I could sense her fear, and it was incredible. I know because it matched my own when I first turned into my bird form. _Count to ten, then open your eyes. I'll be back in a second. _

"WHAT? WHERE COULD YOU POSSIBLY BE-?"

_Count to ten, then open your eyes, _I instructed again as I made the strong upstroke to get back in the stadium. As I flew over the side, I felt something attach itself to my left wing. I panicked for a second, thinking that one of those dark birds had found their way to me and was attacking. But when I looked back at my wing, I felt both relief and annoyance.

_You again? _I thought to it.

_Yeah, me again, _Pikachu thought back. He was hanging on to my wing's feathers for dear life. But he slowly inched his way to me neck where he could get a better grip on my feathers. I looked back at the dragon, feeling even more distaste for this situation. _Remember me? I'm the guy you left at that terminal without a clue as to where you were going. Geez, Ventus. I thought you'd be cooler than this!_

_My name is not Ventus!_

_Okay, whatever Ven. Just defeat that darkling commander would you?_

_Darkling? What are you talking about? How many times do I have to tell you that I have no idea what's going on? _This conversation was going on in our heads while I was dodging every one of this "darkling's" advances. It was hard, I had to master flying in just a few seconds. Lucky for me I was a fast learner. I flipped, dodged, and did anything to avoid being hit by those dark blasts.

_Aw geez. You really don't know anything? Aw man, now I have to explain everything. Lugia said he'd try to reach you in your dreams, but I guess that never happened huh? _

_I think I would know if someone was invading my dreams thank you very much. _But I knew as I said it, that that statement wasn't true. There were three words that were always lingering on my mind since I woke up in that hospital.

_Ventus...come home..._

I shook the thought out of my head. It was just a distraction.

_Listen. You know what's going on. So what am I, huh? All I've been able to gather is that I'm some sort of bird that can breathe underwater. Please. I'm really confused, and kind of scared. _

_Maybe I should explain when we're not under fire._

_I can multitask, _I wasn't taking this dragon very seriously. I was dodging every advance and I was slamming it with my wings or tail, every chance I got. I didn't seem to be getting anywhere, but neither did it.

_Alright. You're something called a Lugia. A kind of Pok__é__mon, like me. _

_Okay, what's a Pok__é__mon?_

_A Pok__é__mon is-, _he never finished that sentence. At this point, the dragon was clawing at me. I narrowly dodged one of its blows, and I mean so narrow that the Pikachu was hit and... knocked off. I would've tried to catch him, but the moment I tried descending, I was smacked across the face with the dragon's claw. I paid attention after that, so I was able to dodge the follow-up blows. I looked down to see how the Pikachu had fared. Luckily, he had landed right on one of the unconscious players.

But no time to think about that, the dragon was firing at me with those purple blasts again. Wait, purple blasts? That's when I realized that this thing was firing at me with the same power that the dark bird was. That's when I got an idea.

When the dragon opened its mouth to take another shot at me, I took action. I gathered up the golden energy and focused it at my mouth. I released the beam of energy and it blasted, straight into the mouth of the dark dragon. After the energy receded I saw the dragon shake uncontrollably. Then it screamed, really screamed one word: "VENTUS!" And with that, it exploded. Just as the bird had been blown to pieces, so did the dragon. Millions of drops of dark slime cascaded around me, but then, every last drop of the stuff simply froze in mid-air. Then, as before, the bits of the dragon were absorbed into the sky. And slowly but surely the sky turned back to its regular blue colour.

I breathed a sigh of relief. I was right. Whatever these things were, they all seemed to have one thing in common. They all had a central power source. That was the reason they could shoot those beams of dark energy. That orb that the bird had inside of it must be that power source. Just destroy that, and the creature or creatures would be destroyed. Simple enough if i ever came across them again. After the sky turned blue again, I made my way back to Amy. I made sure she didn't see my form when I left her, but she was seeing it now. And she was, well you can guess. Can't? Well, let's put it mildly and say that she freaked out.

When she tried to run, I reached out to her and said in her mind, _Amy wait! It's me! _She stopped dead and turned around slowly.

"Zack?" She asked, completely confused.

_Yeah, _I nodded. This wasn't going to be easy for her to digest, I knew it. She was still looking at me quizzically. It was then that I wished I knew how to change back to my human body so I could assure her. That's when I heard the voice, for the second time. The voice that told me how to use that powerful technique. Surge of Soul.

_You wish for the ability to change your form at will?_

_Yes. _I knew not to question this voice. Or argue with it. All I knew is that it wanted to help me.

_Very well. In order to exist in your temporary human form, you must reverse the power._

_Reverse it? _Asking was no use, as the voice was already gone. I thought for a minute, searching for the right thing to do. Then, it came to me. Saying the words "Silver Soul," turned me into this Lugia creature. Maybe just saying another selection of words could 'reverse' the process? Hey, it could've been, and was, as simple as what I put through my mind next.

_Reverse! _And that was all it took. Once again I was surrounded in that orb of white light, and once again I felt the change. But unlike the last time, where transforming actually felt pretty good, this transformation actually felt like I was a car being compacted. Okay it didn't feel _that _bad. But it didn't feel right. When the light faded I saw Amy in front of me, her mouth wide open. I knew what was coming next.

"You... were never on that cruise ship were you?" She asked.

"No," I answered sadly. "I'm really sorry I lied, but I didn't think you'd believe me if I told you the truth."

"You were kind of right," she replied, putting her hand on my shoulder. She was smiling at me. "It's cool. You did what you thought you had to." I smiled, I felt better. "What are you, anyway?"

"Human...I think," that's what I said, but recently, I wasn't so sure. There was an idea forming in my head, but it was too crazy. Even after all the stuff I'd seen thus far it didn't make sense. "Anywho, I'm gonna have to ask you to keep this a secret until I figure out what I'm gonna do."

"You got it. But in exchange, you have to tell me exactly what's going on."

"Um, I'll try. But honestly, I don't know much more than you do at this point. If we really want to know everything, than we need to find that rat."

"You've lost me."

"Okay, suffice it to say, there's a foot-tall yellow mouse in that stadium that we gotta find. He knows everything about this."

"One problem. The cops just arrived." She was right. The police had just arrived on the scene and everyone was waking up from the state they were just in. I guessed even the people inside the stadium were waking up too. I sighed. At that point I realized I would have to figure this out myself.

"You mean ourselves," I blinked. I don't think I said that out loud, but I think some of my telepathy powers might've carried over when I transformed. "It's obvious that you can't do this alone. I'm gonna help you."

"Listen, I don't think you realize what you're getting into."

"I'm helping whether you like it or not. Even if I didn't want to, I'd help you."

"Why?"

"Because we're friends. And I always help out my friends. And that's a promise." I blinked rapidly. I never actually had someone say something that cheesy to me before. And to be honest it felt... good.

"So how does it feel to have wings?" She asked as we turned to walk for the nearest bus station.

"It feels great. A lot better than you might think," I participated in the conversation, but my mind was elsewhere. All I could think about was the mysterious voice telling me what to do. Where was it coming from? And who was it? I knew it was the same thing from my dream in the hospital, but I had no idea _who _it was. In any case, there was one thing I couldn't begin to fathom that day. Three words that kept playing over and over in my mind.

_Ventus...come home..._

**End of chapter two!**

**Yay, the second chapter is done. Hope I've been able to keep your interest thus far. If I have, review! You'll find it's more fun than a barrel o' cookies. **

**See y'all later.**


	3. Articuno

**Chapter 3: Articuno**

I didn't know what to make of Amy's family. Mostly because they were so normal. The moment we walked through that front door, I felt like I had entered a completely different world. First of all, we were greeted with an enthusiastic "WOO-HOO" and a high five from Amy's dad. Amy had told me that he apparently did that every time she walked through the front door. She had an eight-year-old little brother that automatically assumed we were a couple. And to top it all off, her mom was wearing an apron. An honest-to-God apron. It was the kind of family you'd find in your typical movie.

The house also had that I've-seen-this-before type feeling about it. It had your typical kitchen, bedrooms, living room, bathrooms, you get the picture. Like I said earlier, her parents were more than happy to take me in for a while. Happy to feed me as well apparently, as I could smell the delicious scent of steaks when Amy guided me to the table. They not only smelled delicious, they were delicious. Then again, it could've been that I just hadn't eaten since those fish the other day and anything would taste delicious at that point. But I decided that they would have been great either way.

About five minutes into that simply delectable meal, I realized that Amy's mom had left their television on. I didn't take note of it at first, but then the reporter who was currently being displayed said the words that made me choke on the choke on the steak I was currently scarfing down.

"For reasons unknown, the majority of the population surrounding Dodger Stadium fell unconscious today. Including our very own camera crew. Medical experts are unsure of what transpired, as all examined patients were given a perfectly healthy status. Fortunately, our camera crew was already recording outside the stadium, and some...interesting footage is the result. Now, please note that this footage has not been falsely created or altered...to the best of our knowledge. It appears as though an immense dragon, yes dragon, is attacking what appears to be a rather large bird." That's when I nearly gagged. That camera crew had, by dumb luck, caught me on tape. I wasn't the only one who heard her though, as Amy's family had all vacated the table to see what was going on. Amy looked at me with concern when I was choking, but I cleared up my throat quickly and we zipped into Amy's living room to see what was happening.

"Now when we magnify this image, experts have informed us that this bird appears to resemble what some cultures call 'The Guardian of the Ocean,' however this fact is still only speculation. What's noticeable is that the dragon seems to disappear at this point," she said as footage of my fight with the dark dragon rolled on-screen. 'Disappear' seemed to be the wrong word for her to use though, because the dragon was exploding right before my eyes, and I'm sure it was the same for everyone else in the room too. "Soon after its disappearance, the bird also vanishes without a trace. Experts are baffled about what transpired, but we can all rest easy knowing that there is an investigation underway."

"Wow, cool," Amy's little brother Leo declared as the anchorwoman signed off. "Hope that bird hasn't left yet! I wanna see it again!"

"It's not something you can gawk at in a zoo Leo!" Is how Amy replied to his statement. I looked at her and smiled, trying to get the message across that it was okay for Leo to think what he wanted. Besides, I thought he was right. I did look pretty awesome. Although I was surprised that I got caught on tape, I was glad that I wasn't being portrayed as a monster at the same time.

"I just hope it doesn't eat people," Leo said, not paying attention to his sister for the time being. He was blinking at the television with his big round eyes, being completely clueless. "I mean, it's still out there right? It didn't explode like the dragon did."

"I personally think it's all fake," said Amy's father, "just some prank."

"Not to rain on your parade dad," said Amy, "but that was way too real to be some special effect. That was totally not fake."

"I think it's time we dropped this subject," Amy's mother, who hadn't said a word thus far, chided with a monotoned voice that quickly perked up. "Whether it's fake or not it doesn't really matter. Anyway Zack," she turned to me, "I hope you don't mind sleeping on the couch tonight. It's all we have for you I'm afraid."

"That's alright, thanks a lot," I was sure that it wouldn't have made a difference where I slept that night, because I didn't plan on sleeping. As much as I had been touched that Amy wanted to help me, I didn't want to drag her into this any further than I already had. That night, while everyone slept, I planned to leave. Sure, I'd be alone again, but I was more than used to that by now.

Unfortunately for me, things don't go the way I want them to these days.

That night, I pretended to go to sleep on Amy's surprisingly comfortable couch, letting everyone else in that house go to bed. As I mentioned earlier, some of my powers as a Lugia could've passed over into my human form, because I could hear voices, Amy's family's voices blaring in my head. There was no sound. When the voices ceased, I knew they had all fallen asleep. Good timing too, I couldn't lie there for much longer without falling asleep. I threw my blanket off me and sat up on the couch, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes that had gathered.

I had been planning to leave the moment I had stepped into Amy's house. This was my problem, and I would deal with it my way. There was no need to get Amy involved, although that could've been impossible seeing as she was going to great lengths to make sure she _was _involved. Anyway, I had made a resolve not to fall asleep until I got the heck out of there.

There was a single thought driving me to do this on my own. A thought meant only for me. The voice that kept playing in my head. The one I had to find. I may have said this earlier, and you may be tired of hearing it, but I'm gonna keep saying it so get used to it.

_Ventus...come home..._

_Come home. _Those two words just wouldn't get out of my head. They kept playing again and again like a broken record. So strange, yet so familiar. I yawned and stood up. That's when my plan to leave failed. I felt it again. A sharp jolt went through my brain. It was exactly like when I was stuck in my other form in the ocean. I felt it then and I was feeling it now. The shock wasn't painful, not the slightest bit, however, it was surprising, and very sudden. And just as before, I felt fatigue immediately rack my body. I dropped right back on the couch, feeling my eyelids shut right away. I don't think I had ever fallen asleep so fast. Hell, I thought I had just acheived a world record. I had been completely awake one second and the next, lights out. But no matter how weird that was, it couldn't compare to what happened afterwards. Seriously, everything leading up to this point was a normal trip to school compared to this.

I was soaring.

That was all I could say to describe it. I knew I had just fallen asleep, but this didn't feel like any dream I'd ever had. I was definitely flying. And I was having a great time doing it as well. I was feeling the rising currents of air beneath my...wings. Yep, I'd transformed again. But like I've said, it doesn't feel bad to transform. Anyway, I felt every updraft, downdraft, sideways-draft, any kind of draft between my feathers. I was also feeling something else. The spray of the ocean was what I felt against my face as I flew over it.

Where was I going? Boy was that the million-dollar question. There was nothing but open water in every direction. All I knew was that I had somewhere to be. That's why I was flying in this particular direction. Something just told me to keep flying. Hey, it was a dream, why not go along with it?

The more I flew, the more excited I seemed to get. It was as if with every wingbeat I came closer to happiness. I was kind of right. When I saw the shadow of it appear over the horizon, I smiled. By smiled, I mean eccstatically. Had my mouth open and everything. That place was the place to be. I felt something other than my instincts driving me there. That island was getting closer, and with it came a sense of peace. I felt myself breathing faster in excitement.

The island itself looked pretty tropical. It wasn't all that big, the perimeter of the roman colloseum was a good example. It had a jungle made of 100% palm trees and deep moss. It had a small perimeter of beach, but it wasn't worth going into detail over. All that mattered was that it was a regularly-sized island with no bare spots in its rich jungle foliage.

No, that wasn't true. As I ascended over the island to get a bird's eye view, there was a spot in the exact center of the island that interested me. In the middle of the jungle was a circular opening in the trees. The perimeter of which was surrounded by tree branches that had been severed from their individual trees in order to form a perfect ring for this circular area of the island. I also noticed that the ground within said ring was laid with leaves and mosses that looked especially soft.

Upon lighting down inside the ring of branches, I learned that they didn't just look soft, they felt soft. No kidding, that stuff in the ring felt like a combination of silk, cotton and marshmallows. It was that soft beneath my feet.

I looked at this set-up. It was obvious that this place was made, it wasn't a natural occurance. The branches looked as if they were cut off expertly, with no room for error. Someone had also taken the time to expertly place the leaves and other plant life in the exact right places for maximum softness-potential. One thought was going through my head, who was this made for?

Upon a few seconds of observation, I thought I had an answer. The size of this circle, the way it was exposed to the sun just right so it's not too hot and not too cold, the softness of the ground. What this place was was clear.

It was a nest.

A nest made for a pretty big bird. A pretty big bird that was just my size. The thought felt strange at first, but as soon as I came up with it, I knew it had to be true. This nest, it looked like it was made just for me.

And believe it or not, (You most likely won't) this is where it gets strange. I started falling asleep. I knew it was a dream that I was in, so that didn't exactly compute. But, you got to understand, this was a _really _strange dream. I was literally feeling everything around me. I felt the amazingly soft ground, I could breathe the lush tropical air and I was getting tired. My eyes were closing bit by bit. I swayed as I felt the fatigue seize my body.

Then I dropped, right there, landed right on my front. And let me tell you, it was great. Like I said, the stuff I landed on was soft. Real soft. It felt just right. I couldn't describe how great it felt. Y'know how you feel when you're a kid and you wake up on christmas morning? Yeah, that wasn't even close to how happy I felt to be in that spot. I didn't even know what it felt like. It felt like...like...

_Home, _I thought as I nestled my head even deeper into the soft bedding that I assumed had been made for me. That's when I heard someone approach. I didn't fear this new presence. I knew that it wasn't going to hurt me. I could sense that this thing was friendly, which was probably one of the reasons I didn't open my eyes to check who it was. The other reason being that I was too tired to even open up those eyelids. I was that lax. Then another strange thing happened. I heard a voice inside my head, it was the same voice. The one that told me how to change forms at will. The same one that kept me going when I first transformed. This voice rang out in my head, much more clearly this time.

_Are you happy here? _The voice asked me. I couldn't tell then what that voice's intentions were. But from the tone it spoke..er..thought...um...you know what I mean. From the tone it spoke in I could tell that it was okay with me being here.

_Yes, _I replied. I didn't ask any questions. I felt like I didn't have to. Questions seemed rather pointless in the big scheme of things.

_Good, _that's when something that felt remarkably like feathers started massaging the top of my head, ruffling my feathers a little. It didn't feel weird or anything of the sort. _You are alone rather often aren't you?_

_Yeah, but it doesn't bother me. I'm used to it. _

_We both know that isn't true. _Whoa, the guy just saw right through me. _That's why your mother created this place. So you would never have to be lonely. _

_My...mother?_

_Yes. If only she were here to see you now. She would be proud. _

_Who was my mother? _That's when I decided it was time to ask questions. It was just getting too weird. And that's coming from the guy who can turn into a giant bird at will.

_The kindest soul that ever lived, _that was good enough for me. _Listen carefully. _As if I would do anything else. _There are many things you must do. Many tasks you must complete._

_What-what are these tasks? _I was a little confused. I didn't sign up to be an errand boy. I began to get a little nervous, and this person sensed it. He even chuckled slightly.

_You have nothing to fear, Ventus. _There was that name again. But I didn't mind being called that name that time for some reason. _When the time comes for you to complete these tasks, you will know yourself more then you ever thought possible. _

_But, what happens when I finish these tasks? What then?_

_When that happens, _he paused, _you'll have found your way home._

_Who-who exactly are you?_

_I am-_

I fell off the couch.

I rubbed my head with my...human hands. These transformations were getting very confusing. Then again, that was a dream. Anyway, I think I landed on my head, because there was a nagging pain there when I rubbed it. I was still in Amy's house thankfully, I had gotten tired of falling unconscious and waking up in a place I didn't recognize. But the bad news was that I could see the sun rising from the nearby window. And I could hear the sounds of people waking up on the upper level. I sighed, silently admitting my defeat. I fell asleep at the worst possible moment. Actually, forget falling asleep, I woke up at the completely wrong time. I stood up and stretched the muscles that were still a little tight.

That certainly was a strange dream. But there was still a question that lingered in my mind. Was that really a dream? Everything felt real. Not the dream type of real where you think it's all actually happenng, but _real_ real. I could still feel the softness of that nest clining to my face. I rubbed the back of my head again and felt something odd there as well. I quickly went down a hallway and zipped straight into the washroom, going for the mirror right away. I flicked on the lights and looked at my hair. There was something different there. I didn't have bed-head if that's what you were thinking. I never got bed-head. It was one of the many things that didn't concern me. No, my hair was scruffed up, like someone had...had...rubbed it. Which actually did happen in my dream. It didn't make any sense. Then again, who'm I kidding? "Making sense" wasn't exactly something my life was meant to do it seemed. I sighed one more time, finally giving up on trying to make sense of all this. I'd just go with the flow from that point on.

But let's be honest folks, would the voice let that happen?

_Ventus, _the voice was faint in my head that time, but it was there. I stared at my own eyes in the mirror as I listened, and for a split second, I swear I saw my eyes flash red.

_Ventus, seek Articuno._

_Who's Articuno? _I inquired. If you've been following so far, you can guess that I didn't get an answer to that question. The voice peetered out. Well, I could say something about this turn my life was taking. It was getting predictable at least.

"You're up early," said a voice in the doorway. I looked up, seeing Amy leaning against that doorway, fully dressed and a big smirk on her face.

"So are you," I replied, still more focused on what the voice said about Articuno. Whoever that was.

"Fair enough," she said, giving me a wink. "Okay what happened?"

"What?"

"Something happened, and I want to know what."

"Nothing happened," geez did I ever sound fake. It was so obvious that I was trying to lie that I was already trying to think of another one to explain things to her.

Amy laughed. "You're lying." Whoa, had she really gotten to know me so well in the twenty-four hours we'd known each other? The answer to that was yes. She snickered again, making me feel even more clueless. "Fine, don't tell me. But you owe me one secret."

"Um...sure," I said, blinking at her. This girl simply astounded me. She was so unpredictable, and she seemed to have this undying will to help me. That's about the only thing I disliked about her. Why couldn't she be selfish? If she was then I wouldn't have to constantly think up ways to get away from her. She was my friend, but I knew she shouldn't be. That's what killed me. But, hey, I digress.

"You're coming to the beach with us today," Amy said as I stared at her with disbelief. She wasn't asking me, that was definitely an order. "We're going boating. We just got it and we're taking it for the maiden voyage. And then I get to water ski."

"Sounds good," I replied, trying to keep a level tone of voice. As Amy turned to get ready, I spoke up again. "Uh, Amy wait!" I caught her and she turned back around. "We still have a problem. Your family doesn't know that I didn't really fall off a cruise ship. What happens when the coast guard finally does contact a cruise ship and everyone's accounted for?"

"Oh, that," she said, not worried in the slightest. In fact, she yawned. "We'll talk about it in the car. Leo'll be sitting in the front with mom and dad. He always does." With those last few words, she left. I sighed again, feeling utterly lost with Amy. She was confusion itself in human form. I took a look at myself in thge mirror one more time. I wasn't thinking about Amy. I wasn't thinking about her family and their ignorance to the situation. I was thining of only one thing. My dream. Mostly on the part about "finding my way home." It sounded like a goal worth reaching to me. If "home" was that same island in the dream, then I was ready for anything.

Then again, since when am I right when I say that?

A couple hours later, all five of us had packed into Amy's family's truck, their brand new speed boat in tow. Amy and I sat in the back seat. Leo sat in between his parents, chattering up a storm. He was talking about, well, who else? Me. He was completely immersed in his made-up theories about what I really was. Of course, none of these theories came close to the truth about my Lugia form, but it was fun to watch him try. My personal favorite was the one where I'm an alien superhero.

While Leo did his thing, Amy and I talked in the back. I had the chance to fill her in on some stuff that I hadn't found the opportunity to do so earlier. Like how people kept calling me Ventus, the details of the ferry terminal incident and my first bizarro dream, you know, the one where I first met the creature that said "come home." I held off on telling her about my latest dream however. I didn't feel I should share that info with her yet. That felt...personal. Only meant for me.

"So, what do you think 'coming home' means?" Amy asked, whispering raspily in my ear. "Seriously, are you even human?" That wasn't meant to be insulting in any way. It was a serious question. And it was also one I didn't have an answer to.

"Dunno," I replied, obviously. "But Amy, I'm not gonna find the answers if I stick around here."

"Listen buddy," she began with a great deal of smugness, "I don't think you've noticed, but I'm stubborn. Wherever you go, I get to go with you. And don't even think about trying to ditch me. I've got eyes in the back of my head." Funny that she made such a threat. I was trying to do just that last night.

"Great, then you get to tell your parents," I smiled as I said it, letting her grasp my successful ruse.

"Wait, I-" she never got to finish that sentence. As her mother was about to announce that we had finally arrived after about half an hour of nothing but driving.

"We're here you two," she said warmly, getting out of the car. I made a quick exit as well to avoid Amy's inevitable wrath. I opened up the car door as quickly as possible and hopped out. Amy caught up with me quickly with a if-looks-could-kill type look in her eye.

I gave her a quick apologetic grin, then looked foward. I found myself standing in front of the very beach I had woken up on the previous day. It had pretty much come full circle.

"You kids go have fun y'hear?" Amy's dad said, looking at Amy and I from the driver's seat of the truck. "I'm gonna launch the boat, then I'll come and get 'ye."

"'Kay dad," Amy replied, giving him a wave. And with that, the truck vacated down the road and out of sight. As I stepped off the road and onto the sand I closed my eyes and took in the fresh ocean air. Yeah, there's nothing like that ocean smell. Refreshing is what it is. That moment of peace did not last long.

"We need to talk some more," Amy said, grabbing me by the arm again. My God her grip was strong. "Mom, I'm showing Zack my cave. See you later!" She didn't wait for her mother's reply. She was half walking half dragging me across the sand.

"Your cave?" I asked while she pulled me across over a mile of sand. The beach was getting rockier, black boulders were jutting out from the sand. They measured from around the size of a car, to the height of a basketball hoop. I looked upwards a bit to see that we had found our way to a more narrow part of the beach. There was a steep semi-cliff to our left that had more black stone jutting out from it.

"Found it a couple years ago, it's underwater, but it's got these holes that go up the surface for air. It's sort of like my secret headquarters. At least that's what Leo calls it. He's never seen it of course, as if I'd let him. Anyway, d'you mind getting your clothes wet?"

"No problem," I said.

"What is this stuff made of anyway?" She said, stopping and turning to me. She squeezed the fabric around my arms, trying to get a feel of the clothing. Like I told you before, the fabric didn't feel like fabric, it felt like rubbery flesh. "Moving on," she turned back around, grabbed my arm and pulled me right to the sea. I didn't know what she was doing at first, but then I knew. I looked to my left again and saw the most giant of the black stones. Becoming a road block on the beach, this thing was _huge. _It was twice as tall as my Lugia form and four times as wide. Then I realized what Amy was doing by taking me to the water. That rock must've been completely hollow and it was!

Amy let go of me when our feet were in the water. I blushed a little when she took off her shirt, revealing the bright red bikini underneath. She made a quick dive into the surprisingly deep water. "C'mon," she said as she ducked her head beneath the waves. I shrugged to myself and followed suit. I expected the water to be just a little cold, but my temperature was regulated. I opened my eyes underneath the water, looking at the outline of Amy's legs disappear into a tunnel underneath the giant hollow rock. The hole was a meter in diameter, just enough for a comfortable fit. I pulled myself into the hole and snaked my way through the short tunnel and emerged inside the hidden little cave.

I was still in the water from the neck down, and still in the tunnel from the shoulders down. I pulled myself out of the water and into the sand filled cave. It was about as big as it looked from the outside. The little pool of water that I had come through was the only water I could see. The ground was all sand, and the cave walls were of the same black rock. I looked to Amy, who had her arms crossed and was staring right at me with a serious look on her face.

"Transform," she said abruptly.

"What?" I replied. Classic reply, I know.

"I need to make sure I'm not crazy. Transform."

"I can't! I've only done it twice, how am I supposed to control it?"

"Don't give me that. You did it pretty easily at the ballpark," she had called my bluff. In retrospect, it wasn't a good one. Yeah, I knew how to do it. Very easily in fact. It was still fresh in my mind, the feeling of becoming a Lugia. And at that point, I figured it was time to do as Amy said.

"Okay then," I said as I took a look at the feather marking on my hand. I took a deep breath and said my new catch phrase. "Silver Soul!" Immedietely, the orb of light wrapped around me. As usual, the transformation went off without a hitch. When the light faded, I could see that I had grown taller and I felt the lack of human arms surprisingly not that unnerving. I looked at Amy and half-expected her to freak out. But being the awesome person she was, just stared at me with a great amount of interest.

"You looked cooler at the stadium," she said. She then paused for a couple seconds and laughed. I tried to laugh too, but once again, all that came out was that musical wail. I clutched my throat and kept my mouth shut after that. Then Amy started 'inspecting' me. She started weighing my wings in her hands, and took a look at my other form. "Not bad," she said, making me question this girl's logic even more. She looked up at my eyes and she finally had the surprised reaction I was expecting. "Do you have red eye or something?"

_Red eye? _I thought to her. Then I remembered that my eyes seemed to change colour on their own nowadays. I relayed this fact to her, and she dropped the subject right away.

"Okay, whatever. We should go now, dad's probably-" she could've continued, but she noticed something then. I saw it too, not that it was hard to notice or anything. Something in Amy's pocket was glowing. She was wearing short-shorts, and something blue was definitely shining in her pocket. She reached in there right away and pulled out a necklace of some sort. It was beaded with dark blue beads with a medallion attatched. The medallion was a perfect circle and had a blue gem that looked like a saphire, in the shape of a diamond. And that very gem was the source of the glow.

_What is that? _I asked. When I had laid eyes on that medallion, I got a sense of familiarity. Not a big one, but it was there.

"It's my good luck charm. I found it in this place when I first came here. It looked pretty cool so I kept it. I sort of took the finders-keepers route." She was, needless to say, a little embarrassed to admit it.

_So it's never done this before? _That's when I figured it stupid to think things to her when I could just talk. So, naturally, I reverted to human form. _Reverse! _And as you can guess, the light consumed me again, and I shrunk to my human form again. I stared at Amy for the answer to my question and she shrugged.

"No, I don't know what's-" she said no more on the subject when the thing stopped glowing. She blinked at it like a confused puppy, shrugged again and put it back in her pocket. She looked back at me, sharing my confused looks.

"Well that was weird."

"This from the guy who who transforms into a giant bird and can breathe underwater?"

"Point taken." We made the incredibly quick decision to speak no more of it. It was strange, sure. But it wasn't exactly like we knew what to do about it. We made a swift exit from the cave and made our uneventful way back to Amy's mother and brother. We found that her father was also there. He had launched the boat successfully, and was waiting for all of us just off the shore. The beach was getting pretty crowded at this point. All kinds of people, mostly families, were lining up their towels in the sand. All were complete with swimsuits.

"You all ready?" Amy's dad asked when we came running up. Amy and I nodded as Leo dashed into the water and pulled himself over the side of the boat. He was an eccentric kid, I would give him that. Amy's mother delicately climbed her way in as well, Amy hopped in next, and I soon followed.

The boat wasn't large. It was an average-sized speed boat, but what it lacked in size it made up for in looking cool. It was sleek, shiny, and generally fast. I almost fell off the thing when Amy's dad floored it. But I crawled my way to a chair and sat myself down. Amy handed me a life jacket as the wind hit my face. I took it gratefully and strapped it on. I looked behind us and saw that the beach was already fairly far away. I looked ahead, and saw nothing but open ocean. Sure, there was a small speck of land here and there, but overall, it was a vast expanse of waves.

The perfect place for an ambush don't you think?

Well, guess what happened. It's not what you're thinking trust me. I was looking at the water as we sped past, relaxing for the first time in a while. I should really stop doing that. Because as I looked at the water, I saw what I really didn't want to see.

The colour purple.

The water turned to the dank purple colour I knew all too well. My eyes widened, as did Amy's as well as her family's. At first I thought that the water was reflecting the colour of the sky, so I looked up. It wasn't. The sky was blue. It hadn't changed. I looked back at the ocean and saw that it was the water itself that had changed colour this time. Not only had it turned the dank purple, but this condition stretched out for miles in every direction. It even went back to the beach, I assumed.

The seats in the boat were back-to-back, so I reached over my seat and pushed the lever controlling the boat's speed to as fast as it could go. Amy's dad, who was driving, was so surprised, he couldn't steer correctly for a second and the boat swerved. Luckily, he got control again in no time. Wondering why I wanted this pleasure cruise sped up? Well, behind the boat, following us, were two, one meter tall and wide fins. Shark fins. Shark _dorsal _fins. That would be scary in itself, but it gets worse. The fins seemed to be made completely out of slime. Dark, grimy slime.

I got out of my seat and walked to the edge of the boat. All I could think of at that moment was 'I hope the boat is going fast enough to get away,' and 'sorry Amy, this is where I leave.' I didn't think of anything else. In fact, I'm not sure I _was_ thinking. All I did, I did out of instinct and nothing more.

"You want me right?" I yelled over the boat motor. Whatever these things had taken the form of, I'm sure they were after the same thing that all of these things were after. Me. "Well I'm right here!" I don't know what I was doing. It seemed like a good plan at the time. Later I realized how stupid it was, but at the time, my brain was on auto-pilot.

I jumped off the boat. Smart, right? Actually, it was. I'm pretty sure that's what saved Amy and her family's lives. When I dived into the waves I thought to myself the words that pretty much summed up my life these days.

_Silver Soul! _And I was off. I got ready for the feeling of transforming. When it came, it felt good, as usual. The light came and receeded, but this time I was in the water the whole time. I opened my eyes and looked at quite a different sight. The last time I was a Lugia and in the water, I could see through the deep blue water easily. I could still do so, but it was a little cloudier in the purple surf. I didn't have long to think about this, because I finally saw what the attackers looked like. They were indeed sharks, but these two were huge. They were each the size of a truck, with no features except for the shape of Tiger Sharks, they had a creepy look about them. And of course, they were completely made up of the black slime that the others had been.

These two huge menaces rushed me, and I instantly knew I wouldn't have a shot in the water. I swam upwards and out of the water. I made a strong upstroke as I broke the surface so I could get high above the dark sharks. But that wouldn't stop them. They jumped, yes jumped out of the water to get at me. They jumped pretty high too. I had to do a backflip in midair to avoid them. The resulting splashes of water when they hit the water again didn't last long. They jumped again, and I once again had to make a desperate maneuver to dodge. This wasn't going well so far.

I didn't know it while it was happening, but later, Amy told me that the moment I hit the waater and transformed, her necklace had started glowing again. She took it out of her pocket again as the boat continued to speed away from me. The light from the gem was more intense this time. Amy said she could barely keep her eyes open against the harsh glare. She stuck it back in her pocket and focused on the problem at hand.

"Dad go back!" She ordered. "Zack's still back there!"

"Honey, I think he's smart enough to swim away," Amy's dad began, "those things are going after the bird, not him."

"Yeah," Leo followed up, "you calling him stupid? Besides, the bird'll protect him. That thing's awesome!"

"You little idiot!" Amy yelled, she was freaking out. "Zack is the bird! He's been the bird the whole time." She didn't get the reaction she wanted, far from it. Her family stared at her for the longest time, then Leo burst out laughing. "Listen, I don't get it either. But it's true, you gotta believe me!" No reaction was had. There would've been one, if Amy's next sentence wasn't interrupted. Interrupted by a rattling inside the glove box of the boat. Leo, who was sitting closest to it, opened it up, and out popped what Amy described as...a yellow mouse. That's right, Pikachu.

"Pika, pika," he said, apparently. He was rubbing his head, as he must have been in there for awhile. When he opened his eyes, looked around and saw the freaked out faces in front of him, he kept his mouth shut. He wasn't sure what to do. But then he looked behind Amy's family and saw me. Dodging sharks. His eyes then widened and he jumped up to the boat's steering wheel. He grabbed on and turned the whole thing around. The boat was heading straight for me.

I had no idea though. I was trying to dodge these sharks' inceasent attacks. While I was doing so, Amy's dad was getting control of the boat again. He had torn Pikachu from the wheel and was trying to turn the boat back around. That's when Amy and Pikachu both had the same, incredibly stupid, idea. While the boat was turning around, they launched themselves off the boat. At this point, I was flying low so I could try to get a hit on these sharks. As you can guess, the two had jumped with expert timing. Amy grabbed onto my tail and Pikachu grabbed onto her foot. I blinked when I felt the additional weight. I looked back and saw the two clinging for dear life. I rolled my eyes. These two were the most persistent people I knew. I flicked my tail upwards, sending the two up in the air and landing them on my back. Amy wrapped her arms around my neck right away. And get this, she was laughing. She was actually having fun. Pikachu had grabbed onto Amy's shoulders and took a deep breath. That had taken a lot of adrenaline.

_Hey, remember me? _Pikachu asked me. _Can you not ditch me this time? It's getting troublesome trying to find you._

"Did that thing just talk?" Amy asked. I was still flying ever-upwards to avoid these persistant sharks, but I did realize something. Not only could I hear Pikachu's thoughts, but I was relaying them to Amy. Man that was cool.

_Nope, he was thinking, _was my answer. _And now that you're here, _I was referring to Pikachu, _mind giving me some advice? I'm still kind of new to this._

_Have you tried Hyper Beam yet?_

_Hyper what-now? _

_Yellow beam of energy. You use it all the time._

_Haven't done that yet. _

_WELL TRY!_

I stopped flying upwards, as I was high enough to avoid the beasts now. I waited for one of them to jump. They both did, and when they did, I prepared to use the Hyper Beam. I felt power building up at my beak, but this time it felt different. Not bad, different. In fact, it felt like I was getting even more energy than the usual Hyper Beam. When the buildup was strong enough, I could see that it wasn't the Hyper Beam I was using. The power I saw was a giant blue ball of energy. I didn't think, I just launched the thing. It was big enough to hit both of the rising sharks, I could tell before it hit. But while it was on its way, it left a trail. A trail that was...a tornado. Yep, a miniature tornado was the tail of the blue ball of power. Also, there were ripples of wind surrounding the blast as it flew toward its targets. When the sphere made contact with the dark sharks, their liquid forms dispersed and dropped into the sea.

_What was that? _I asked. I was really confused. That was way more powerful than the usual blast I got from the Hyper Beam.

_You, my friend, just used Aeroblast. _I could tell that Pikachu was genuinely impressed. _That's your strongest power. Other than the Surge of Soul of course. _

"Glad that's over," said Amy.

_It's not. Take a look. _Amy looked at the ocean, and she saw my point. The water was still dark.

"AMY GET DOWN FROM THERE!" Her mother was screaming at the top of her lungs from the boat.

"Relax mom, I told you, it's Zack!" She slapped my neck, giving me a signal to say something. I said nothing. Partly because I didn't want to destroy the family's perception of reality, even more than I already had. But mostly, it was because I was districted. Distracted by what were appearing in the water.

Shark fins. Hundreds of them. They dotted up from the sea every few feet. I didn't know what to do, and I didn't have time to react. I didn't have time to react to the hundreds of beams of purple light sparking in the water. The beams were being projected to me. I would've gotten out of there, but I remembered. the last time I tried to dodge an advance from one of these things with a passenger on my back, pikachu was dropped by about a hundred feet. I looked at Amy. I wouldn't risk her safety. I closed my eyes and braced myself for the blasts.

They never came.

I opened my eyes. I almost gasped. Wait-no I did gasp. I was being shielded from the blasts by a clear light blue shield. It was a perfect orb that surrounded my entire being. The purple blasts were sliding off the shield like rain on glass. I looked for the source of the shield and I found Amy. She was holding her glowing necklace in her hand, it was now too bright to even look at.

_No way! You have a medallion? _Pikachu asked her as he closed his eyes as well.

_What's a medallion? _I asked back.

_She's got the power of Articuno in her hand!_

_What does that even mean?_

_Look I'll explain later. Listen, whatever your name is, you gotta do what I say!_

"My name's Amy, and why should I?" She questioned.

_Because if you don't, we're all dead! _

"Good point, now what do I have to do?"

_When the medallion came in contact with our friend Ventus here, it activated. I think you're the person who can use it!_

"I repeat, what do I have to do?"

_Just say-_ As usual, Pikachu was interrupted, due to the fact that the shield had given out at that point. I cried out in pain as I was unexpectedly blasted. The pain was too much, gravity took over as my wings gave out and I fell toward the ocean. Amy fell more slowly than I, as I weighed more. As the medallion continued to sparkle, she was experiencing the same as me. She knew what to do, without being told. And I swear, this is the weirdest thing yet. I know I've said that for the billionth time, but it's true.

"Frozen Soul!" Yes, she actually said that. When I hit the water I saw that none of the sharks were coming after me. I looked up and saw the most amazing sight as Pikachu hit the water right next to me. Amy was no longer falling. She was being wrapped in an orb of bright blue light. I saw no other movement for a minute, and then the light pulled back and revealed one of the most beautiful things I had ever seen.

Amy was no longer there. Instead, there was a bird. A simply beautiful blue-feathered bird. It was around five feet tall, with a black beak, ruby red eyes, a gloriously feathered blue tail that flapped in the wind, and a torso of white feathers, this bird was certainly a sight to see. I didn't know what to make of it at first, but then it dawned on me.

_Amy? _I asked the bird. The bird blinked at me, like it was unsure of what to make of me, it then cried out with one of the most melodious sounds that could've come out of a bird's beak. It stopped after a couple of seconds of this and I was able to hear its thoughts.

_What just happened? _Sure enough, that was Amy. I could tell. She was panicking. I'm not sure how I did it, but when our eyes met, Amy calmed down. I knew I was doing something with my eyes, I just didn't know what.

_It's okay, Amy, _I coaxed her to calm down. _Can you fight?_

_You know it, _she thought with complete confidence. She was a braver person than I. After all, when I transformed, I didn't know what the heck to do, but she had already gotten the hang of it. I watched as she ascended and unleashed something amazing. In moments she had a glowing blue orb sparking at her beak. Just like my Hyper Beam, this orb of energy was released as a beam. And when this beam came in contact with the water and the dark sharks, it froze them. Seriously, the sharks were frozen solid, and seconds later, the ice cracked and completely smashed into large pieces.

_Amy the Articuno, huh? _Pikachu said as he climbed on my head. _Has a nice ring to it, don't 'cha think? Anyway, I think she's got this. You and I had better look for the source._

_The source? _I asked.

_You know, the thing you've got to destroy to make all of these things go away. Big glowing purple orb. Y'know?_

_Right. _We didn't need a genuis to know to check underwater. One of the creatures had to have it, that's what happened the other two times. But there was still one small problem. _Can you tred water? Because it looks like I'll be going on my own from this point._

_Don't you know anything about being a Lugia? You can take a passanger with you. All you need to do is make me a bubble that'll help me breathe underwater._

_How exactly is that possible?_

_Magic. How else would you do it?_

_Of course, _I was getting a touch of sarcasm. But, hey, the mouse had been right about everything so far, so why not this? I dipped my head into the water and focused on nothing but helping Pikachu breathe. In seconds I felt something. I looked back and checked on Pikachu. I was a little surprised when I saw a golden aura surrounding Pikachu. I was surprised because I had actually done it. Easily. I was getting better at this.

I didn't marvel in that small victory for long. Suddenly I felt like a human target. I say that because the moment I dropped in the water, I was the center of attention for the dark sharks. Almost every one of the beasts forgot Amy and were remembering their original target. Popularity is deadly. I made a dive in the water to avoid two incoming sharks, who then smacked dead into each other. It had a cartoony effect to it. But enough about that, when I dived, several sharks dived with me. To make matters worse, these guys were faster than me. Moments after I dived, I felt a set of teeth sink into my foot. I looked back and saw that one of the sharks had taken a bite of me, and man did it ever hurt. These things may have looked like they were made of slime, but they were solid as rocks. The pain was real enough for that. I reacted so fast, I'm not sure whether I used Hyper Beam or that I just kicked the thing off of me. All I knew was that whatever I did, that shark dissolved into the water the moment I did. I didn't check if I was bleeding or not because there was still about ten sharks on my trail.

Lucky for me I wasn't alone, Amy had me covered. I saw her beam of ice break the surface. The beam was amplified on so much power that it was able to reach down to my level of deep. The beam hit at least twenty of the sharks that were chasing me. I saw the frozen blocks of ice silently float to the surface, crack and completely break apart. I think that's when the sharks got the message. I wasn't the dangerous one here. Half of the sharks that were currently out for my blood were now heading toward the surface, to get at Amy. I didn't like leaving her hanging, but she was tough. I had to find this 'source' and get rid of it while she distracted the sharks.

Before I started searching, I stepped into action. The sharks were coming at me from all around. I made a 360 degree turn and saw nothing but sharks in every direction. I got an idea. I made another 360 degree turn, using Hyper Beam at the same time. And let me just say that no one was spared. I made the complete spin with perfect accuracy. Mostly I just went in a straight line, but for the ones smart enough to get out of the way, I made a slight adjustment to my aiming, hitting them as well. The moment my beam touched them, they disappeared into the currents. So you can imagine, in the sixty seconds I was using the attack, I had a clear path for looking for the source.

I didn't have much time. I knew from observation that those things could re-spawn and I didn't want to be there when it happened. I looked frantically around for the glowing orb, but soon realized what an idiot I was being. Looking for it like that would be pointless. I closed my eyes. I had already learned that I had telepathy, so a thought occured to me. Could I use that to find which shark would have the source tucked away inside of it? The answer to that was obvious. Like I keep saying, I don't know what I'm doing 87% of the time. I'm just going with my gut, or in this case, my mind.

The feeling was faint at first, but my brain sensed something in the distance, far away from this battle spot. I opened my eyes when I realized it. These things were getting smarter. They had placed their weak point far away. Back near the beach. I made for the place right away. I had my eyes on the prize, and I knew Amy could handle herself.

Fortunately, I was right. When my venture to destroy the source began, all hell broke loose for Amy. Sharks had begun jumping at her, and if you've been paying attention, you know that these things could jump high. Amy had to dip, dive, duck and dodge all of the assaults the sharks made on her. Whenever possible, she used a blast from her icey beam. But most of the time, she wasn't able to land a hit. These things were now jumping at her six at a time. Lucky for her, she had a quick eye. Her flying abilities could've exceeded my own that day. Don't get me wrong, she told me later that she didn't feel the same feeling I had of knowing everything about flying upon transforming. She was doing it all on adrenaline.

Her luck didn't last long.

There were so many fish and she was just one magnificent-looking bird. Odds were, she would've gotten hit sooner or later. Unfortunately, it was sooner. When it happened, she cried out in extreme pain. A shark had managed to jump from her blind spot and grab her left talons in its jaws. She flapped her wings madly, but she was no match for the extreme weight that the shark held. The shark dragged her down with it. And unlike me, I doubted Amy could breathe underwater. Transformed or not. I was nowhere near the source at the time, so she was on her own. Or was she?

The moment the shark was about to hit the water and drag Amy beneath the waves, it let go. Mostly because a boat had plowed into it. That's right, her dad had driven the boat right into the shark, knocking it away from Amy. I swear, her family was just as crazy as she was. When Amy realized that her family was putting themselves in danger for her, she thought what I'd been thinking the whole time. She wouldn't put those she cared for in danger. She flew away from her family, toward the same place I was headed. The beach. All of the people there had already abandoned the place when the water changed colour anyway. I didn't know that, and neither did Amy, but we guessed. We were right. When she flew, her shark attackers followed her. She would bring them to dry land whether they liked it or not.

She never put that plan into action. She had gotten pretty far, halfway. But then the sharks kicked it into overdrive. They all jumped. Every last one of the dark fish jumped at the same time, and their goal was the same. And they all acheived it. The sharks didn't hold back, they all joined together and practically flattened her into the water. Yes, they all jumped above her, they wanted her in the water. She fought them off as best she could, but the inevitability overcame her. They crashed down into the water, and she thrashed around under the weight. The sharks began dispersing from her and started tackling and biting at her. She scremaed in pain as she sank like a rock in the water. She had already run out of air, and she was about to pass out.

Then it all stopped.

She thought she was numb from pain at first, but she soon realized that it was really over. She would've continually sunk, but she could feel herself being carried to the surface by a strong swimmer. Me.

I had successfully destroyed the source. Know where it was? I made my way to where I had sensed it and found a familiar rock formation. An underwater plateau. I had seen the place before, I had originally planned to live there when I thought the transformation I had experienced was permanent. I saw a mysterious purple glow emnating from the cave entrance. I swam in, finding myself in total darkness except for one thing. The source. The glowing ball of energy was bigger than the one the dark bird had. It was certainly more powerful. I knew there was only one way to be completely rid of it. I screamed the words in my brain.

_Surge of Soul!_And for the second time I saw a blue aura appear around my body. The aura seperated from my body, becoming my duplicate of blue mass that I couldn't identify. The aura charged at the source, and upon contact, the orb exploded. I hadn't braced myself for the explosion, so I flinched when it came, closing my eyes from the sudden surprise. When I opened them again, the plateau had disappeared. I'm serious, I was inside the thing, and all of a sudden, it was gone. Not only that, but the water had turned blue again. The third nightmare was over.

On my way to dry land, I saw Amy. She was sinking in the ocean like a pile of bricks. I didn't hesitate. I maneuvered myself so she was on my back. I then replicated the aura I had made for Pikachu for Amy so she could breathe. I made for the surface and once I broke it, I made for the beach. I landed on the sand delicately, letting Pikachu hop off me, and I slid Amy down my back so she would have a soft landing on the sand.

_Reverse Power Force, now! _I thought quickly. I transformed right back into human form so I could check on Amy properly. When the light of my transformation receeded, I ran right to Amy and felt her neck for a pulse. I was fairly sure that birds worked the same as humans when it came to the workings of the circulatory system. I felt a steady heartbeat, although she was still unconsciouss. She was breathing all right as well. I breathed a sigh of relief. She was okay, she had just fainted.

That's when I saw something familiar on her chest. Her white feathers had a blue colouring that was shaped in a diamond. The symbol that her necklace had was now engraved on her feathers. I put my right hand to it and I saw something amazing. My silver feather marking was glowing radiantly, and so was the marking on her chest.

_I wonder, _I thought. I closed my eyes and said out loud, "Reverse!" And like magic, a sphere of blue light appeared around the beautiful bird. In a few moments, the light receeded and I saw Amy in her human form before me. Unlike my first transformation, she was wearing the same bikini she was wearing before she transformed. And what's more, she was stirring. I held her head in my left hand and grabbed her right hand in mine. I don't know why I did that, but I just did it. Something chivalrous to do, I guess.

"Amy, you okay?" I asked as my friend half-opened her eyes. She sat up and shook her head rapidly. I let go of her hand for fear of what her reaction might be.

"Yeah, I'm cool," she said, and then she perked up and yelled with the most excited tone, "but that was awesome! What am I saying? I'm not only cool, I'm incredible! Man, why didn't you tell me being a bird was so cool?"

"Um, I did," I said. I wasn't exactly thinking straight. I've said it before but this girl was amazing. She could take a freaky situation and turn it into a spring fling in one sentence. I should've known better then to expect her to react like me. "But Amy, I'm confused. How did you know what to do so fast? I mean, when I did it the first time, I felt like I always knew how to do it. Is that what happened to you?"

"What? No way. Honestly, a voice in my head told me. It sounded sort of like...um...well it echoed."

"I think I know what you're talking about." _It must be him, _I thought, _the same guy who came to me in my dreams._

_Perceptive aren't we? _Pikachu's thoughts asked. Amy and I looked at him. He had just been standing there the whole time. _That was Lugia you heard Amy._

"Lugia? But I thought I was Lugia?" I said.

_No, you're A Lugia. The guy you've been hearing is THE Lugia. _

"Who is he?"

_Isn't it obvious? _I shook my head.

_He's your father._

**End of Chapter Three!**

**WOW, did that one ever take a while. Sorry it took so long everyone. I'll try to get the next chapter out sooner I promise. Not every chapter will be like this. Hopefully the length makes up for the long wait.**

**Catch y'all on the flip side.**


	4. Origin

**Not much action in this one folks. But don't click that home button yet, there's a lot of plot in this chapter.**

Chapter 4: Origin

Family.

Such a simple and small word, yet it's so powerful at the same time. This one little word can help you through anything, allow you to conquer any challenge. Family has that magic power that can chase away the darkness, and make it so you have nothing to fear. I experienced this great feeling for only eight short years before my mother died. And I only remember about three of them. Think about it, when's the last time you remembered what your life was like when you were five? But that's beside the point. My mom loved me from the day I was put in her care, and I loved her right back. But it didn't last. No child should have to cry at their parent's deathbead at such a young age. But it happened, and there was nothing I could do to stop it. The doctors that treated her never did figure out what she died of, and I never learned how it happened. Well, not until the fateful day that I had _officially_ met Pikachu.

Yeah, those times when I had come across him before we were seperated don't count. When I changed Amy back to...Amy. I immedietely asked Pikachu what the heck was going on. Of course, I didn't get an answer right away, first off, Amy's family pulled up to the beach in the boat. Her family had all jumped out right away, and they all engaged in a group hug. I looked longingly at that scene, feeling my own desires of a family emphasize themselves. I sighed and let them have their moment. Pikachu seemed to sense my feelings and put his paw on my ankle as he could reach no higher. He smiled at me, and told me the words that I needed to hear most of all.

_Ready to go home?_

After all was said and done, Amy dragged me over to their truck and her father drove us back. All the way back to their place, I was silent. With Amy's folks debating whether or not to call the police and Pikachu in my lap and Amy looking at me with concerned looks, what could I say? Before Amy's family had arrived, I told Amy and Pikachu all about the dream I had had the night before, and they didn't have a response for me. Well, I knew Amy didn't, but Pikachu definitely knew a lot more than he had told me thus far. He was just saving the info for later. And I don't blame him, it's some pretty heavy stuff.

After coming to the conclusion of not calling the police as no one would believe them, Amy's parents guided everyone into their living room. My God, this family included the most understanding people in the world. Not only did they not freak out when they found out I was the Lugia, they didn't think any less of me because of it. Same with their daughter and her new abilities. Although I suppose that would be a given, like I said, I didn't experience family for a long time. In any case, they were still willing to take me into their home when they found out, and I don't think I could have been any more grateful.

I took a seat on the couch, next to Amy. Leo sat next to me, his new hero. And Amy's parents sat in individual armchairs, and we were all were looking at the same thing. Pikachu stood in the center of the room with his arms crossed. He frowned as he decided his words. It was finally time for me to get the information I wanted. Like, just who this Pikachu was, why he was here, and what in God's name was happening to me.

"Okay, talk," I said, starting up the long conversation. "You said that you have answers. So what are they?"

_Uh_, he was hesitating. It was obvious that he wanted to speak to just me on this subject. Amy and her family must not have been part of this equation. But as he had no choice, he decided to drop that hope. _Okay Ventus. What do you want to know first?_

"First I want to know why you keep calling me that."

_Because it's your name. _

"For the last time, that doesn't make sense."

_You know that you're not going to believe me right?_

"I'll hear what you have to say first, then I'll decide what I think is true."

_Okay, um...there isn't a way to say this without freaking you out, but you're not actually a human_. Amy and her family all either gasped, widened their eyes or just plain stared at me with shocked and confused looks. They might've been startled by this news, but I wasn't, surprisingly. In fact, I figured that out a while ago.

"I got that far," I replied nonchalantly. Everyone else just stared at me. But honestly, I couldn't care less.

_Yeah, but it's not that simple. _

"There's a lot of words I could use to describe this. Simple isn't one of them."

_Fair enough. But it's more complicated than you think. You see, you weren't actually born in this world._

"What do you mean?"

_What I mean is that you're originally from another world. _That's the news I wasn't expecting. I didn't have a response to that. Who would? I stared at Pikachu like he had a disease or something. _I told you before that your father was the guy who's been talking to you in your dreams right? _

"Yeah."

_Well that's the truth. You're really a Lugia. _

"Back up, I don't understand."

_Okay. It'll be easier if you just read my mind. _

"What?"

_I'm gonna send you an image of your past, okay?_

"What're you-" I didn't finish that sentence. Because at that moment, I swear, I left that room. I was looking at Pikachu puzzlingly in one second, and the next, my world went white. Seriously, the whole room was suddenly being covered in white light. It's like I was in a blizzard. I couldn't see or hear anything, I was totally blind _and_ deaf.

Then it all stopped. Slowly but surely my eyes began to make out faint outlines. Then details were added to the picture, and finally the world was flooded with colour. But I wasn't in Amy's house anymore. I was back. Back in my dreams. At least, that's what I thought at first. I was standing on the same island I had been standing on in dreamland not twelve hours earlier. Only there was one difference this time. This time I was standing right next to the nest on the island, looking down at a smaller version of, well, me. The Lugia me, at least.

This Lugia was a couple feet shorter than me as a human. It looked like a newborn. It still had all the features of a Lugia, but it was just small. Not to mention that it was a slight bit on the cute side. This isn't a very manly thing to say, but this thing was adorable. It was curled up and sleeping peacefully in the nest. It's shoulders were slowly moving up and down as it breathed deeply. I watched the thing and smiled. The only thought I had about this was that this guy was going to be all right. He was going to have to a great life.

Then I heard someone approaching from behind me. I would've tried to hide or move at least, but I couldn't. I was observing this scene, and that's how it was going to stay apparently. When the presence past me, I finally saw who it was. It was him. The guy I'd been talking to in my dreams. But here's the weird thing, he didn't take note of me at all. I stared at him in wonder. He looked exactly like me in my Lugia form, but he was about seven feet taller than I was. That's when I figured out that no matter how large I was in my Lugia form, I still wasn't fully grown. I was still just a kid, and that's what gave me my next idea.

When I realized that I was still a young Lugia, I looked back at the newborn Lugia in the nest. I blinked at it as an idea began to form in my head. When the adult Lugia had stopped by the nest, the little one rolled over in its sleep. Yep, it rolled over right on its back. That's when the adult Lugia smiled and slowly lowered his wingtip to the child and slowly scratched the baby's belly. The kid started laughing an adorable (Once again, macho aren't I?) baby's laugh. It was incredible how remarkably...human these birds were. And to prove that point, another figure walked into this scene. Another Lugia. Only this one was different.

Wherever this Lugia should have had blue colouring, it had green. There were emerald green plates on its back instead of the blue ones I've known thus far. The same was up with its tail spikes, the mask over its eyes, and the feathers on its chest were also shaded with an emerald hue. The two also had two other things that differed about them. The one with blue colouring, was slightly taller, by a couple feet at least. The other thing was the colour of their eyes. The taller one had eyes of a deep blue shade, while the other had a warm red hue embeded in their eyes.

I realized then what this was all about. These two adult Lugia were parents. Two parents marvelling at their child that was just brought into the world. The idea that was forming in my mind was being proven. I looked at the infant Lugia again and I had an epiphany.

_Is that...me? _I thought as I stared at the peacefully snoozing newborn. Since I was about as noticeable as a polar bear in a snowstorm here, I walked up to the young little Lugia. I didn't disturb the ground at all as I walked. I kneeled down next to the little guy and took a closer look.

That's when everything went to hell.

The sky went dark. Yes, I am serious. The amazingly perfect blue sky dramatically changed to the familiar dank purple colour. I stood and looked straight up. My mouth dropped open and my eyes stared unblinkingly at the sky. The wind was starting to pick up. My hair was flapping around like a flag in response to the sudden miniature hurricane. The trees were doing the same. They looked like they were about to snap like twigs in the immense force. I found this strange. The wind hadn't done this the three times that this had happened to me. I didn't understand, and I wouldn't until much later. The only thing I knew right then was that this little trip I was taking was getting worse by the second.

When the wind started picking up, the two parents stepped into action. Now, if you take just one thing from everything I'm telling you, let it be this. These two were devoted parents. They may have been acting with human characteristics, but these two had some animal instinct in them. If something was endangering their young, they were ready to fight to the death to protect it.

Speaking of the young one, he woke up right away. And in classic child fashion, he got scared and ran to his mother. The mother turned out to be the Lugia with the green colours. Go figure. Anyway, the kid burried his face in his mother's feathers and clung to her. The mother folded him in her wings protectively and glared up in the sky, almost daring someone to try and harm her child. As for the father, he got up in the air. He seemed to already know what was about to happen, as did I. The sky rippled, and once again, many figures began to manifest themselves in the form of dark grimy slime. The thing is, I recognized these ones. The dark birds were back.

The birds appeared by the hundreds. It was similar, if not identical, to my first experience with the things. The birds flew straight for the father Lugia. Wow, did they ever regret it. You gotta understand, this was one _dedicated _father. The moment those birds came swooping at him, Lugia issued a strong Aeroblast directly at the nearest dangers. They vaporized instantly. But he didn't fire just one shot, he fired twenty, minimum. He spared no expense in defeating these creatures. Once the frontline troops were taken care of, Lugia continued to fire at the sky, destroying the creatures before they had completely formed in the sky. He showed no mercy.

While all of this was going on, I couldn't help but marvel at these creatures. They were so strong, yet gentle. So calm, yet fierce. But one thing remained constant with them. They were a family.

But enough about my personal thoughts, bigger things were happening. While the father Lugia took his rage out on the dark birds, the true intention of the birds became clear. I remember hearing something that sounded like an explosion. I looked up in the sky, and saw something that would be forever burned into my memory.

The sky was opening.

That's the only way I can describe it. A huge hole was being ripped open in the sky. Its diameter was about the size of Lugia, making it huge. The hole went on into a black void into which no light could penetrate. And as if that wasn't unbelievable enough, there was something coming out of that hole.

I didn't know what it was. The only thing I could tell at that point was that it was a giant shadow. That was all. There was a gargantuan shadow descending from that hole. The shadow resembled the shape of a snake, but it had no features whatsoever. The shadow wormed its way out of the hole and continued on its way down towards the island. Lugia forgot about the birds and flew towards the ominous shadow. This proved to be a fruitless effort. The shadow snaked its smoky form around Lugia's body. Lugia thrashed around, trying to get the shadow away from him. The shadow didn't seem to be affected by brute force. All of a sudden Lugia stopped thrashing around wildly. He hovered for a second and then released the most bloodcurdling, pain-induced scream.

Lugia's scream didn't sound like you think it would. When this guy screamed, it _literally _shook the earth. The ground was becoming unstable underneath my feet. The scream itself made me cover my ears. Imagine, if you will, a dozen chalkboards, all having a dozen sets of fingernails scratching each one. That would be like the voice of an angel compared to Lugia's pain. I think some of his telepathic abilities had something to do with it, but I didn't have time to think about it. At that moment Lugia dropped from the sky. He had ceased flying due to pain, and he landed right in front of me. He appeared to be down for the count, and the shadow was still around.

The shadow descended ever further. The mother of the young Lugia had watched in horror as her mate had been utterly maimed. When he fell, she knew he would survive, but that didn't stop her from being horrified from it. She turned her eyes from her beloved mate to the shadow that had caused the damage. She held her child closer to her. The kid himself was shaking uncontrollably with fear.

I couldn't do anything. I was only an observer. I nearly killed myself from the agony of having to watch this without doing anything. But suddenly, I was doing more than just watching. I was beginning to hear things in my head. Before all of this madness started, I would've thought I was going crazy, but right then, I wasn't sure. If I didn't know better I would say it was _my _voice I was hearing. Wait, was that my voice? It sounded a bit like me, sure, but if it was then I sounded like a really little kid.

_I'm scared mama_, the juvenile voice said in my head. At first I assumed that the smaller Lugia was making his thoughts known through telepathy. But when I couldn't hear the mother's answer, I dropped that thought, and yet the youthful voice kept conversing with itself. _What are these mean things? Why did they hurt daddy?_ I could've sworn that these thoughts were my own, but it was impossible. I wasn't the kid, I couldn't feel what he was feeling. Or could I? I was so confused.

That feeling didn't last long. There was something bigger going on. The shadow was making its way toward the ground. The mother tried launching an Aeroblast at it, but the powerful burst of energy went right through it. She instead braced herself for what that shadow could do. She wrapped her wings around her child tight. She would protect this kid from anything this shadow could dish out.

But nothing could prepare her for the pain she was about to experience. The shadow surrounded her body, coiling around her like a serpent. Nothing happened for a few seconds, but then I saw her eyes grow wide. Then I heard it again. The mother Lugia screamed in agony. She was in dire pain, and she wasn't afraid to show it. She hung in there for a while. Longer than I thought she would. But I saw her shudder from pain, and with one last fleeting look at the child she loved, she fell back, leaving the kid wide open for attack.

That's when the kid freaked out. The thoughts were still pouring into my mind, and I couldn't do anything but watch as they did. _Mama? _I could see the kid's eyes beginning to tear up. He was terrified. _Mama? What's wrong mama? _The kid began to approach his mother, but the shadow wasn't done yet. It was no longer interested in either of the adult Lugia. It went after the only target left. The kid. The shadow faced its real target and coiled itself around the helpless child. The kid was beginning to cry out for his parents using his high pitched voice box. The shadow squeezed him, holding him in place. The shadow then did something I didn't expect. The shadow began to rise. It was ascending, taking the kid with it. It was going back to its point of origin. It was taking the child back through the the hole!

_What's going on? Stop it! STOP IT! I want my mama_! And with those last few words, the shadow pulled the child into the infinite black void. That's when the mother called out in a melodious voice, shouting the one word that would be forever carved into my mind.

_VENTUS!_

And then my world went white again. My eyes were flooded with the white light that made absolutely nothing visible. After a few seconds, my vision returned. I was back in Amy's living room. I looked at Amy and her family. They were all blinking rapidly as if they had just woken up from a deep sleep. They had obviously seen what I just saw. And of course, Pikachu was still standing right in front of me.

"How did you do that?" I asked.

_I didn't do anything, _he thought as a reply, _you did. You just read my thoughts is all._

"Okay, enough with the partial answers. Just explain what that was all about! That kid...he was me...right?"

_Yeah. Those were your parents. That was you. You were taken from them when you were just a baby. _

"But I don't get it. Where...was I taken?"

_To answer that, you're in need of a science lesson. Do you know what the multiverse theory is? A theory of parallel_ _universes existing side by side? Well, it's true. Each universe has its own unique quality. For example, in this universe, humans are the dominant species and pokemon don't exist at all. In another universe, pokemon is an entertainment franchise. And in my, and your original universe, pokemon are the only inhabitants. _

"So that shadow-thingy brought Zack here?" Amy asked. For a second, I honestly didn't know she was talking about me. All of a sudden, the name 'Zack' seemed so...foreign. I almost didn't recognize it. But I got focused quick. "Why would it do that?"

_I dunno. Y'see, years ago, the portals between these parallel worlds were completely open. People could travel between the worlds at any time. But over time they just seemed to close up. The portals completely shut long before you were even born, Ventus. So, how that shadow even opened that portal to this world was something even Lugia hasn't figured out._

"That's another thing," I said suddenly, "what exactly is a Lugia?"

_Well, to put it simply, you're practically a god._

"Oh, is that all?"

_Alright smart guy, be quiet. Your kind has existed since the dawn of time. You've watched over our world as guardians. What's really cool is that you can live for the thousands of years! In Lugia years, you're still technically an infant._

"Good to know."

_Didn't I just say to be quiet? Anyway, listen. The portal that that shadow opened wasn't very stable. After it dragged you through, it wasn't able to transport much of anything else. It didn't have the energy. That's when your parents had to make a decision. They weren't gonna let you go. Ventus, they loved you very much_. When I heard those words, I felt something. Something good, but I couldn't quite place it. Let's just say that a knot untwisted in my heart_. Anyway, they knew all about the portals. And they knew exactly where that one would go. But the thing was, even with their power, they couldn't keep the portal open for long. Nor could they stabilize the portal any more than it already was. Only one of them could go. And in the end, your mother was the one to head to this world. _

"Wait, are you telling me that-"

_Yep, when your mom went through that portal, she found you easily. And you know what happened next? After she came to this world, the portal between the worlds closed and she was stuck there. So, with her power, she turned you human. She knew she would have to blend into this new world with you or you wouldn't survive. So she gave you the human body you have right now. So, suffice it to say that she gave you the perfect human body. _

"What do you mean, perfect body?" I wasn't exactly sure what he meant. I wasn't exactly the muscly-type. I had never outrun anybody during Gym Class or anything like that.

_Let me put it this way. Have you ever caught a cold_? When he said that, I was confused at first, but then I realized something. I had never been sick a day in my life. If, at any time, I was injured, I healed fast. _Your mom loved you. And that's why she gave you a body that's impenetrable to any human disease. She didn't want anything to happen to you. Unfortunately, she used up most of her power making that body for you, and could only make a temporary body for herself. She turned herself human as well, so she could take care of you. She gave you a more common human name so you could fit in better._

"Wait, so..." I was in shock. Pikachu had basically just told me that the woman who I had thought to be my adopted mother, was my _real _mother. She had loved me like her own because I was her own.

_She adapted to the customs of this world pretty quickly. It also helped that she could...manipulate certain people's minds to get further, faster. But like I said earlier, her human body was only temporary. It wasn't exactly...built to last. I'm sorry. _I finally understood. The mystery of my mother's death had been solved. She didn't expect to live that long. She knew her body would give out at some point. _Before she left for this world, your parents knew that the portals would one day, open up again. They knew that when that time came, it would be the perfect opportunity for you to return. The thing is, the portals wouldn't be as easy to use as they once were. They would spark up again, but they wouldn't be strong enough to actually transport you, not by a long shot. So, in order to strengthen the portals, they invoked the help of the other legendary birds. _

"Others? There are others?"

_You bet! Moltres, bird of fire, Zapdos, bird of lightning, Ho-Oh, the great phoenix bird, and Articuno, bird of ice, all lended a hand, or a wing in this case. Y'see, they gave up some of their own life force in order to help your parents, as well as yourself. They took their own abilities and gave them to your parents. These collections of their powers came in the form of medallions. _

"So that's what this is!" Amy said, pulling her medallion out of her pocket. "I always wondered."

_Yeah, that medallion is a collection of Articuno's life force energy. Y'see, your folks were able to send these medallions into this world. Hoping against hope that they would find their way to the humans who could help you. And I'm happy to say that it did. Amy's living proof of it. The medallions have two functions. Y'see their original intention was to provide the energy you need, Ventus, to keep a portal open long enough for you to get through once they started reappearing. But they can also do something else. When the medallions come in contact with a Legendary Bird, a.k.a. yourself, they activate. And upon activation, they have the power to transform certain humans into the pokemon they were created from. But like I said, only a select few can actually do so. One per medallion. These people are chosen by the one who activated the medallion in the first place. That would be you, Ven, who chose Amy here._

"But I didn't!" I replied. I never wanted Amy to take part in any of this. "I never chose anyone!"

_Oh, but you did. You may not have known it, but the subconscious mind is a powerful thing. Yours is especially powerful. You chose Amy, because she's your trusted friend. The only way you can make a portal strong enough to get back home through is with all four of the medallions. _

"Okay. I can understand that. But, what about me? How come I can transform back and forth?"

_There's another important question. The truth is, your body is just getting used to going back to your original form. Reverting back and forth helps the transition process. From this point onward, your body will slowly begin to stay in your Lugia form. Soon Ven, you won't be able to go back to this human form. _For some reason, that fact didn't bother me. I liked being in my true form. _The transition started when you got hold of the Silver Wing, y'know the silver feather. It's one of your very own feathers. I finally found you and put the Silver Wing among your stuff while you were in that hospital. Your changes are gonna be subtle at first. For example, your eyes are now permanently back to their original colour. Red. _

"They have?"

"Yeah, now that you mention it," Amy began, looking me in the eye, "your eyes are looking kind of red. Wait-no, really red." I guessed that my body would be undergoing some changes. It couldn't be helped, I would just have to deal with it.

"There's something else I don't get," I said. "I know what my mother was doing, but what about my father? What's he been up to for these thirteen years?"

_That's just it. He's had nothing to do. You and your mother were his whole life. Without you, he sort of, stopped caring. He got more miserable every day until the point that he didn't watch over the planet the way he once did. There's no other way to say it, but, he lost the will to live. But he's getting better, bit by bit. Know why? Because recently, the portals have begun appearing again. He's getting hopeful. And he should, because you're getting back to your true form. Soon, he's gonna have his son back. _

I didn't know what to say. It was all so much to take in. It was strange. I had always felt like I was meant for something other than my human existence. And it turned out that I was always meant for the life that most could only dream of. The life of a divine beast. What a tuesday afternoon, huh?

"Only thing left to ask is, what about you?" I asked Pikachu. He looked back at me puzzillingly. "How do you know about all this? And just who are you?"

_Oh, that's easy. Y'see, before you were born, your parents knew you would need a friend. Someone you could grow up with. Since I had no family of my own, they chose yours truly. I was sort of meant to be your best friend. And that's how I know about all of this. When the portals began to re-open, your father was able to send me through one. He couldn't go himself, due to the lack of energy the portals had, but I was small enough for the portals to get me here. So, the moment I got to this world, I started looking for you. It took me a couple of weeks, but I found you. And I used your feather to do it. It acted sort of like a homing device, getting me closer to you every day. And when I kept getting seperated from you, I found my own way of finding you. How? Well, that's my little secret._

I was touched. This guy had literally travelled through time and space to find me. I hardly knew the guy, and he was willing to do that for me.

"Well...thanks," I didn't know what else I could say. This was really hard to take in all at once.

_No prob. Anyway, you probably want to know what these things that keep attacking you are. To be honest, I have no idea. Neither does your father for that matter. It's a mystery. But one thing's for sure. They're related to the thing that took you away from your parents in the first place. I don't know what they are, or what their ultimate objective is. All I know is that for some reason, they don't want you two to have a family reunion. Maybe that's why they took you. Because they know that you and your dad together can stop them. That's my theory anyway. _

I took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. My whole life's purpose had just been laid out before me. I didn't know at first, it seemed so out-landish. Like a bad science fiction movie. But it all made so much sense. It explained the figure that kept appearing in my dreams, telling me to come home night after night. It was my father, trying to reach his son. It explained what this whole 'transition process' and what it was doing to me. The mark on my hand was proof of it. And on a side note, it all explained my clothes. These clothes were my Lugia skin in clothing form. Amy's clothes never changed because she wasn't actually a Legendary Bird. Just a temporary one. It also explained why my mother had married my jackass stepfather. I needed a father figure. Unfortunately, she didn't pick 'em so well.

"Well Amy," I said, standing up. "This is where we part ways." After saying those words, Amy gave me a look that seemed to scream, 'you're kidding right?' "Amy this is serious. I've got to do this without you."

"Forget that," she replied. "I'm goin' with you! And that's final."

"Oh no it's not," said Amy's mother. I turned to her. I had almost forgotten that Amy's family was still in the room. They hadn't said a word the entire time. "There is no way I'm letting you go! You almost got killed today, and I'm not letting you go through that again!"

"Oh come on mom," Amy said, talking as if she was asking to go to a party, "Zack'll be with me, and I can help-"

"YOU COULD DIE!" I screamed. Amy lost her calmness towards the situation once I did. "Amy, I couldn't live with that. Stop acting like this is all a trip to the mall 'cause it's not! Don't you understand? You might never see anyone else in this room EVER AGAIN! Do you want that to happen? No, you're not coming with me!"

_But Ven_, Pikachu said suddenly_, she has to come! Without the person you chose to give the medallions to, the medallions can't be used to their full potential. _

"I don't care! This is my problem and no one's going to deal with it but me!"

"Get over yourself!" Amy said. And here's what happened next. She slapped me. She struck me right across the face. And man did it ever hurt. Like I've said, she's tough, and I think she gave me a headache with that slap. "You want to get home right? Well you're gonna need me! And don't forget, since you're human right now, I can kick your but until you let me come along!"

"NO!" That time I didn't say anything. Amy's mom still wasn't gonna give her up. I was liking her more by the minute. "I almost lost you today! I'm not putting myself through that again!"

"Well think about how his dad feels!" Amy retorted. Her mom looked puzzled. "He's had to let his son grow up without him for thirteen years! I have the chance to help reunite a family! Aren't you always telling me I should do more things for others?"

"Not this extreme!" Amy's mother wasn't giving up without a fight. And it was a good thing too because I was still sort of winded from the slap Amy had just given me. But then Amy's father spoke up, and I swear, he spoke with the most wisdom I'd heard all day.

"Dear, I think she should go," he said. Amy's mother looked at him like he was insane, and I agreed with her. But what he said next made me see things differently. "I think this is something our daughter has to do." He then turned to me, and I saw experience in his eyes. It's like he knew exactly what had to be done in this situation. "Zack. From the moment I saw you, I had a feeling about you. I can't explain it, but I knew there was more to you than meets the eye. Zack, human or not, I can tell that you're a good person. And if my daughter can help you, then I'm all for it." I didn't know what to say. No one had ever spoken to me like that before, and certainly not an adult. I knew then that I had to bring Amy with me. There was no choice. I guess this is just the way fate intended it.

"Promise me one thing before you two leave," Amy's dad continued, "take care of her Zack. She's my only daughter, and I'd prefer to have her in one piece."

I got a small smile. This family was crazy. And I wouldn't have it any other way. "Sure thing."

"Wait, you can't go!" Leo suddenly piped up. I had literally forgotten he was there. "Not without taking me for a ride. I wanna fly!"

"You little jerk!" Amy yelled at her little brother. "You weren't listening at all, were you?"

"Maybe I was and maybe I wasn't, what's your point? All I know is that you've gone for a ride and I haven't!"

"Alright Leo," I said, chuckling as I ruffled his hair a little. "But only one ride per customer. Deal?"

"Yay!" He said as he actually jumped for joy. I looked back at pikachu. The little guy stared right back at me. I learned a lot about myself that day. And it had all come from the brain of this small creature. He was essentially meant to be my brother, but I didn't even know he existed. It was amazing how fragile it all was. Life, I mean. Mine was taken from me shortly after I was born. And now I had to reclaim it. But I realized something at that moment. I wouldn't have to do it alone. For the first time, I could share my experiences with someone. Two people actually. Amy, and Pikachu.

"Wait a second," I said abruptly. Pikachu tilted his head quizzically. "If I have a name and I'm a pokemon, shouldn't you?"

_Someone catches on fast, _he replied, snickering slightly as he did. _You can call me Lucan._

Lucan, Amy and I were leaving the next day. For some reason, I didn't sleep a wink. I had a lot to think about, I guess. Just a few days earlier I was taking the beatings from my stepfather. But during the day Lucan explained everything, I felt...stronger. Wait-no, that's not it. Peaceful. That's the best way I can tell you about it. I felt more in-tune with myself.

Anyway, the next day, Amy said her goodbyes to her family. And man, did they stretch this farewell out. Amy's dad broke into a crying fit. Yeah, her mom's eyes stayed dry, but her dad was bawling. It was hard for me to believe that this man could've said the words of wisdom I heard the previous evening. He had done all of Amy's packing for her. Although he spent the previous night getting everything ready for her, all he gave her was a backpack. And not a big one at that. I let them have their moment. Of course, Leo didn't seem to care that his sister was leaving, and was more sad about me taking off. He kept asking me to stay forever, and I just kept pretending no to hear him. Amy's mother was hysterical. She knew Amy was going, but that didn't stop her from completely freaking out. I hated to tear this family apart. But I knew, deep down, that it couldn't be helped. I needed Amy.

It was five 'o clock in the morning. We needed to leave early if I wasn't going to be seen transforming and flying. We had decided to take off from Amy's backyard. After that, we would head toward our destination as fast as possible. I thought finding the medallions would be a problem, after all, we didn't have any idea of where to look. But little did I know that I was getting better at having unlimited psychic abilities. During the night I had a vision. Not just any vision, but a vision of the location of the next medallion. An island in the west held the answer, and I knew just how to get there. Either I was improving, or my father was somehow helping me out. Later, I found out that it was the latter.

"All ready?" I asked Amy once her family said their final goodbyes.

"Yep," she replied, putting her hand on one of my shoulders. I also had Lucan sitting on the other. "Listen, I know you're worried about me. But it'll be fine, trust me." I nodded. I had given up all hope of leaving her behind. Since she was raring to go, I turned around and said the three words that started our journey together.

"Silver Soul!"

The light came to transform me. This transformation was no different than the others. Actually, there was a difference. This time, I felt more confident going into it. The transformation this time felt more...complete. When the light faded, Lucan had changed his position from my shoulder to my head. I looked behind me to find that Amy was climbing up my back plates. Once she got a good grip around my neck and gave me the 'all clear,' I took off. I ascended slowly so she could wave back at her family one last time. They waved right back, and a few seconds later, I sped up, and the three of us were on our way.

"Where're we going anyway, Zack?" Amy asked after about twenty minutes of flying. I hadn't told her of my vision yet. For that matter, Lucan was out of the loop as well. But that wasn't important. What was important was that I really didn't answer to the name 'Zack' that time. The name just seemed so unfamiliar then. She had to say it a few more times before I realized she was talking to me, and that's when I finally came to terms with my new name. I didn't mind it at all. Ventus sounded cooler anyway.

_I'm not Zack anymore, _I said to her. She was confused, I could sense it. Fortunately, my next sentence seemed to clear things up. _Name's Ventus now._

**End of Chapter four!**

**You all still with me? That's good, I hope I''m not going too fast with this plot thing. **

**Catch y'all on the flip side!**


	5. Legacy

**I'm** **really surprised at how many people are putting this story on Story Alert. The idea for this came to me in a dream. But hey, if y'all like it, then who am I to argue? Enjoy the chapter!**

Chapter 5: Legacy

As the three of us flew over the vast ocean, Lucan and Amy were beginning to doze off. We had a long journey ahead of us, and I thought they could use the rest, so I adjusted my flying patterns so as to give them a more relaxing flight. Wind resistance wasn't that big of a deal. I was able to account for it and keep my flying speed at a neutral level at the same time. I looked back every once in a while to make sure I hadn't dropped either of them. Mostly because this was the first time since I had first transformed that I was able to take in the splendor that is flying.

Flying is a wonderous feeling. The rushing currents of wind rolling off my feathers filled me with pure bliss that knew no bounds. As I said, wind resistance wasn't much of a problem. I barely even felt it anymore. It was as if the wind itself obeyed my every whim. At that moment, I felt that anything was possible for me. The sky was my domain, and I was the one calling the shots. As long as I was flying high in the great blue yonder, I wouldn't have to worry about a thing.

You can probably guess that I was wrong. I always seem to be when I think everything's fine. I had one thing on my mind that just wouldn't disappear, even with the unmatched pleasure of flight. My father. I could not stop thinking about him. At first, when Lucan told me about him, I felt that all I had to do would be to get back home, and we could finally start our father-son relationship. But I was beginning to have some thoughts. My experience with fathers so far hadn't exactly been stellar. I was starting to wonder what life would be like once I did meet up with my father again. I wasn't worried about being beaten like I had been with my stepdad, whose name, on a side note, I never learned. What I was feeling anxious about was what my father would think of me. I hadn't had that much experience with being a Lugia. Suddenly I began to feel inferior, like I could never live up to what was expected of me. When I finally did get that reunion with my father, it would be my job to watch over the planet as a guardian. My father would train me up, sure, but after a few hundred years, the torch would be passed to me. All of a sudden, I wanted this trip back to my home world to last much longer.

These thoughts left my mind soon. After a few hours of flying, my two passengers were beginning to stir. They had slept for a long time, as we had left that morning, and by this time, the sun had begun to set over the horizon. Amy woke up first, letting out a wide yawn and sitting up on my back. Two seconds later, she realized that we were still around three hundred feet in the air. She instantly wrapped her arms around my serpentine neck, clinging for dear life.

_I'm not gonna drop you y'know, _I thought to her. I was silently yukking it up. I would never even think of letting her fall, yet here she was, thinking that she was expendable on this journey.

"Easy for you to say," she exclaimed. This was one of the few times Amy actually showed fear. She knew I wasn't about to let her fall, but that didn't stop her from completely losing it after seeing what height we were at. But that only added to my amusement.

_Anyway, we should be arriving by tomorrow morning. If you want any more sleep, get it now. I'm not sure what we'll be finding once we get there._

"Tomorrow? Can't you go faster than that? You said the island wasn't all that far."

_If I went my fastest from the start, you'd be a few thousand feet under the ocean by now. Just be patient._

"Patient? You don't know me very well, do you?"

_Look at it this way. I speed up, or you stay dry. Make your choice. _

"What's a few hours? I can wait that long." I let loose another silent little chuckle. That's the strange aspect of being a Lugia. I let most of my thoughts known to others, and other things I can make my own personal thoughts. I pondered all this. I thought that one of these days, I should sit down and really get to know all of my Lugia abilities. I still had a lot to learn, and as I wondered about all these abilities, my flight patterns were getting lazy. I didn't even notice the purple sky. I was too focused to-wait...PURPLE SKY?

These things were getting an early start this time. I slowed down my acceleration to a stop and continued to hover. By this time, Amy had noticed the odd sky colour as well. And Lucan had finally woken up. The sky began to ripple, and we all knew what was coming.

_Amy_, I thought to her_, get that medallion ready. _

"I'm getting it! I'm getting it!" She said frantically. She was desperately groping the insides of her pack for her medallion. Lucan was still half-asleep and currently had no idea what was going on. The sky's unnatural form continued to ripple, and slowly but surely, something began to form. I prepared myself for the worst. I was ready, whether it was the birds, another dragon, or some other flying beast that we hadn't yet seen. I was ready for anything, except for what actually appeared. The rippling sky eventually did spawn forth something of the same grimy form of the "darklings" as Lucan called them. But the object emerging from the sky wasn't as intimidating as the other creatures that I had come to know and be weirded out by.

A single sphere was manifesting itself from the rippling sky. At first I didn't know what to think. This thing was either harmless, or it was the most dangerous thing yet. The sphere itself was about as large as myself overall and it was of the same dark liquid material of the darklings. The orb didn't stick around for long. Just as quickly as it came, it began to disappate. The orb began to dissolve its way right back to the dark sky from which it came. Then something even more unexpected happened. After the orb completely disappeared, the sky rippled again and faded back to the familiar blue. But it wasn't the orb we had to worry about. It's what was inside the orb.

As the orb dissolved, a figure was revealed within. The orb of dark substance had apparently consumed the thing. I didn't know what to make of the figure at first. It looked sort of like a dog or a wolf, but much bigger. It looked around six feet tall. And here's the weird part. It was STANDING on the water. I was so focused on this that it took me a while to notice its other characteristics. Its fur ranged from mostly a light blue to white at certain spots. It had a white section of fur that stretched from its muzzle towards its underbelly. The creature had red eyes that could have matched my own in colour. Its tail was split in two and very ribbon-like. Seriously, those two tails flapped around in the prevailing winds. To top it all off, literally, was a turquoise oval-shaped crystal atop its forehead, not to mention a full head of flowing purple hair. I didn't know what to do. I just hovered there, staring at the thing. Amy was still frantically grabbing inside her pack, searching for the mystical object. The dog wasn't moving. Its eyes were closed and it appeared to be focusing on something elsewhere.

_Lucan, _I said, addressing my friend, _is this another one of those...um...pokemon?_

_Yeah, _he replied. He appeared utterly confused. _That's...Suicune. Why there's one in this world I have no idea. _

_How did it get here?_

_You're asking me as if I have a clue._

I was beginning to panic. If that "Suicune" came from the dark sky, then it was obviously no good. And it was at this time that Amy found her medallion.

"Alright, got it," she said, holding the ancient object in her hand. "Okay, Frozen Soul!" Nothing happened. Amy blinked at the medallion and I was confused at the lack of light that usually came with the transformations. This wasn't good. If she couldn't transform, then I was in a tight spot. My psychic abilities were getting better, and I could sense the power radiating from that Suicune. It was intense. And it was dark, malefic power I was sensing. Something was out of place here. But the biggest surprise came when it finally did open its eyes and spoke. Yes, spoke.

"Ventus!" She exclaimed. That's right. "It" was a "she." She sounded rather experienced. "So good that we finally meet." Sometimes I really hate being so popular.

_You're not like the others, _was my response. And I was correct. For example, she wasn't made entirely of the grimy slime as my other foes had been. The sky was back to blue, and I hadn't even defeated her yet. Not to mention the fact that she was able to walk on water.

"You're quite right. I'm not one of the grunts who have failed to dispose of you as of yet."

_Grunts? _I kept this thought to myself. If the others were grunts, then Suicune might be a problem. But she had apparently grown tired of talking after two sentences. She leapt from the water, straight towards me. I made an upstroke, narrowly avoiding her strike. I turned myself around seeing that she had landed on the water again. I didn't waste any time. I charged up Aeroblast and released it with gusto. And as usual, the unexpected happen. Like a geiser, a pillar of water shot up from the ocean, right under Suicune, blocking my attack. When the water subsided, Suicune was staring right at me with a cold fierceness in her eyes.

That's when the weather started working against us as well. The clouds began to roll in on that dusky evening. Not only that, but I could feel the first few drops of rain pattering away on my wings. That sudden change in weather was way too ominous for words. Weather had _never_ changed that fast, not in the history of the world. I had a bad feeling about that whole situation. And being right really has its disadvantages sometimes.

There's only one word I can use to describe what happened next. Tsunami. A massive tidal wave was spawning forth from the ocean, right under Suicune's feet. And Suicune literally rode that wave as it climbed higher and higher into the air. By the time the wave had reached its maximum height, it was at least fifty feet tall! It hadn't even travelled twenty feet and it was already at that height. It was the complete representation of the wave from that _Poseidon_ movie. I couldn't dodge it, I was the full definition of a sitting duck at that moment.

_Unless, _I thought as an idea popped into my head. I didn't think. I didn't have time to. I dived straight towards the open ocean. If I was going to dodge this wave, I was going to have to go under it. When I broke the surface, I instantly focused my powers to give Amy and Lucan the ability to breathe. I let my body sink further, letting the current the wave created push me lazily through the waters.

Looking back on it now, I realize that letting the wave hit me would've been the better choice. Because right after the wave passed me by, I was done for. The instant Suicune's attack failed, another current began brewing. This one was more insistent as it pulled me into it. Without warning my body was tugged into a rushing current that sent me tumbling. I felt the current constantly change direction, in what appeared to be a swirling pattern. I knew then that I had been sucked right into a whirlpool. I was being tossed around like a rag doll in the rushing water. I couldn't escape the vortex, I couldn't even tell which way was up, which way was down, I didn't even know if all my limbs were still attached. This whirlpool was a blender, and I was the fruit. I only prayed that Amy and Lucan were still hanging on, or at least if they had let go, that they had broken free of this torture.

Then it stopped.

It took a moment for my mind to register that I had stopped spinning like a top on a merry-go-round. But once I did, I blinked my eyes open. I had closed them a long time ago from all the commotion of what was happening, but since that was done, I gradually began to regain control of what I was doing. The current had all but disappeared. As I noticed all these things, I noticed that I had a lack of passengers on my back. I looked around frantically for my two friends, fearing that I had lost them. But nope, I finally figured out where they were. Not in the ocean, but above me. I felt Amy's thoughts, and she was in terror. I pulled myself to the surface and poked my head out of the water to see what was happening.

It didn't look good. That's an understatement. The good news was that Amy had finally transformed into Articuno. She had even gotten quite a distance above Suicune, Lucan clinging to her neck. The bad news was that Suicune was getting pretty pumped. There were two pillars of water swirling and rotating around her like a fountain. I leapt out of the water and evened out my flight beside my friend. There would be time to ask the question of how she transformed later.

Amy screeched awkwardly then shut her beak, apparently forgetting that she couldn't talk as Articuno. _Talk with your head, not your mouth, _I said as if it was the easiest thing in the world. Two weeks ago, I would've thought I was crazy.

_You're gonna have to give me more time to get used to this, _she replied mentally. But she didn't have time to get used to it as Suicune was getting ready for another attack. She let out a high pitched roar and all of a sudden, I wanted back in the whirlpool. Multiple pillars of water shot up all around Amy and I; and believe me when I tell you that these things were painful. They shot up at mach speed, at least. Getting hit by one of these things is like taking a bullet. And I got hit in the stomach, the tail, the wings, every valuable point on my body. I was shot up in the air like a pinball would in a machine. After that humiliation, I figured it was time to start acting like the legendary pokemon I was.

Fortunately, I didn't have to worry much about Amy. She was a faster learner than myself. She was flipping, turning and maneuvering through those geisers with expert grace. As for me, I dropped down towards Suicune. She was making quite sure to impede my progress, but could do very little to stop it. I kept my eyes on the water, watching each tower of water shoot up from the big blue and avoiding each one. When I was close enough to Suicune, I turned my eyes to her and quickly got my Hyper Beam ready. Upon firing, I found out that hitting her would be a problem. Remember those two other water pillars I told you about? The ones swirling around her? Well, they kind of got in the way. So much so that my attack was completely defused.

So far, Amy and I had been completely ineffective in actually fighting this "Suicune." And I was about to realize my own powerlessness in this perspective. Because at that moment, the physically impossible happened. Suicune summoned not one, not two, but three gigantic city-crushing waves in a configuration exactly like a triangle all around me. Seriously, has that EVER happened in real life? And even more unlikely, stupid me didn't move. Needless to say, I was sandwiched in between the three titanic waves. Seconds later, I was in the drink.

I was still a little woozy from the crashing waves when I opened my eyes. My mind didn't register at first, so I was at the mercy of the currents as I slowly began to float to the surface. When my head casually rose above the water, I saw something that snapped me right out of my stupor. I saw Amy, get hit across the face with an immense pillar of water, knocking her out and sending her plummeting into the sea.

It could be that I still wasn't thinking straight from the thrashing I had just received, but I turned into a wild animal. I pulled myself out of the water and turned, not to Amy, but to Suicune. I wasn't so focused on saving Amy as I was on utterly assaulting the one who had just tried to kill her. The anger I felt wasn't natural. I let out the screech of a mad beast in a successful attempt to intimidate Suicune. I then rushed at her without a thought about her defenses, still screeching like a banshee. As expected, her usual defenses went up. Geisers of water shot up from under me but I didn't care. I didn't even care about the two tornadoes of water rotating around her. I brushed right past them and flipped myself around to smack her across the face with my tail. I was so angry at that point that I hoped, I literally HOPED that my tail spikes had cut her. She rolled around in the water, trying to recover from my blow, but I wouldn't let her. I launched an Aeroblast straight at her, and after a direct hit, I did something that I hoped would...kill her. I don't know what came over me, but seeing Amy get hurt kind of did realize my fears of her being in danger on our little adventure.

But enough about that, because at that time, I screamed three words in utter anger in my head. _SURGE OF SOUL! _And with that, my duplicate of aura erupted from my body and charged at Suicune. I didn't stick around to watch the fireworks, because right then, I calmed down. I didn't want to get a grip on myself. I enjoyed hurting her for hurting Amy. But I did eventually figure out that Amy could be drowning by that time. So without further ado, I turned around to save her and Lucan.

I wasn't too late. Amy's head was still above the water, and Lucan was holding onto her for dear life. He must not have been able to swim very well. Oh well, I was about to rescue the both of them anyway. For the second time in 48 hours, I positioned myself under the unconscious Amy and pulled her and Lucan above the ocean. And as soon as I did, I got out of there. I didn't want to be anywhere near Suicune as I accelerated my speed. I never did find out what happened after I used my Surge of Soul on her. But at that point, I just wanted to put as much distance between us as possible.

Good thing the sun had already set, otherwise Suicune might have been able to track us. But fortunately, she couldn't see in the dark, not even her. In fact I was having trouble seeing it.

After what seemed like hours of flying when it was really only minutes, I began to feel the effects of depriving myself of sleep. In fact, I hadn't gotten any shut-eye since the last dream my father had given me. And that had only been about an hour of sleep. My eyes drooped more and more as I felt my body begin to burn out. But I couldn't rest yet. I had to at least find some land. And like a gift from God himself, my tired eyes made out the outline of a giant island. Whether it was the island we were looking for or not, I searched for a place to land. I know I was tired, but I then saw something on that island that I could hardly believe.

My father.

It was dark and I was tired, but the outline of the figure I saw in the moonlight was just the right shape and the right look of a Lugia that looked so familiar to me. I touched ground right in front of the figure I assumed to be my father. Once my feet landed on soft, well-kept grass, I slid Amy off my back, staring happily at the Lugia figure. And best of all, Amy woke up.

_Just reverse the power and you'll transform back, _I said to her, not even turning from the Lugia in front of me.

_Uh...Za-I mean, Ven. I promise I'll get used to that name. _Amy said as she acknowledged my instructions. _What are you doing?_

_Sleeping, _I replied as I flopped over, letting the warm sensation of sleep grip me. Ah, it was bliss, going to sleep after such a long time. Little did I know, that I was in for a rough night.

_I was upset. That's the best way to describe it. I was sad, I was furious, I was mourning. I was pretty much a wreck. I had lost something and I wanted it back. I wouldn't take it. I wanted them back. Both of them. They were my light, my life. I screamed to the heavens for them to return to me. _

_I willed it to rain. I made the sky and the clouds and the weather reflect my sadness and sorrow. I wanted others to experience my torture. Why should I be the only one to suffer? The skies poured down on my grief as I made thunder and lightning appear as if from nowhere. _

_The sting of tears scorched my eyes as I flew through the wet night. And eventually, I found what I was looking for. A small village atop a cliff was overlooking the sea. I landed and all my sadness, my ocean of grief and sorrow all turned to rage. I wanted these pathetic creatures, these lesser beings to feel my pain. I wanted them to feel my suffering. I wanted them to know what I was going through. I was above them. Which was strange. I never considered myself better than anyone else before, but I knew my place. I screeched like a wild beast and raised my wings to look even more menacing to the fools in front of me. They needed to know their place as well. _

_I turned into a monster. I crushed homes and terrorized everyone I saw. I lashed out at anything that moved, knocking it aside in my attempt to completely annihilate this small little village. I totaled every house, every structure, every campfire with my tail, my feet, my wings, whichever was closest. I sent these lesser beings screaming. They had every right to. I was something to be feared. I wanted them to scream, I wanted them to feel the terror I had felt on that fateful day. The terror, the sadness, the anger, and the loss. It was all so much. All of these horrible feelings. They were crushing me. My heart wouldn't take anymore pain._

Thank the Lord I woke up in a cold sweat. That was just too real. The emotion...it felt like it was killing me. I had never had a dream that felt so real on the emotional level. Note to self, never fall asleep in true form. It gets pretty crazy.

Although, when I think back on it, I felt pretty rested. When I woke up, I didn't open my eyes right away. For a minute, I just breathed deeply without a care. I was so relaxed, it was so nice to just lay there all curled up. Yep, I had actually curled up in sleep, my head over my tail and everything. I was so peaceful. And the smell was helping a lot. The air was chock full of scents and aromas that reminded me of being in a flower shop. It was all so tranquil that I thought I was about to doze off again.

But reality wouldn't let that happen. At that time, I felt a small pair of hands start stroking my neck feathers. A little angry that someone disturbed me, I opened one eye to see what was going on. A little girl, no older than six, was simply fascinated with my feathers and giggled while she stroked them. I didn't really have to worry about this for long though. Her mother popped in and pulled her right out of there.

And then I realized the obvious. I was on a populated island, lying out in the open in my true form no less! I snapped out of my snoozing state and got up right away. Oh boy, was that an awkward moment. Hundreds upon hundreds of people had surrounded me, all with the same look of wonder and confusion on their faces. The crowds stretched far and wide, as far as the eye could see there were people.

I wasn't sure what the heck to do. My first thought was to get out of there, but two things stopped me. The first being that I lacked the presence of Amy and Lucan. The other thing was that..well...these people weren't afraid of me. It was the strangest thing. As I've said already, I can sense people's thoughts, and their thoughts didn't exactly include fear. In fact, when they looked at me, I felt admiration, respect, and especially happiness. They were actually _happy _to see me. I really didn't understand. I was basically a giant bird monster that had just invaded their home. And yet, they were seeing me as a figure of respect.

And here's the kicker. Every last person in the crowds lowered themselves in a bow. Were they actually bowing to me? I didn't believe it. I turned around stupidly, as if they were focusing on someone else. They just might've been. Behind me was a detailed marble statue of a Lugia. That's right. The statue had been crafted to the very last detail. Not a feature out of place. The size, the serpentine neck, the back plates, everything was there. Well, at least I knew what I had mistaken for my father the previous night. A small inscription at the statue's feet read: _'Our Saviour'._

I swallowed hard. That didn't look good. Saviour? That really didn't sound like me. Things really didn't add up here. I had one thought. Get out of there while I still could. But I still didn't have any clue where Amy and Lucan were. Well, if I had been paying attention I would've. Amy was practically my bodyguard. Some of these people wanted to get a closer look at me, but one look at the teenage girl in front of me and they backed off. I didn't blame them. She had a look that made you fear your arms being broken off.

_Have a good sleep Ven? _I heard Lucan's thoughts ask me from below. I looked at him with utter confusion. _You must've been tired._

I rolled my eyes and held my wingtip out to him. _Get up here, _I said to him, sensing his uneasiness at being near a crowd of such rowdy people. The Pikachu climbed up my wing and sat himself down on my shoulder. _Mind telling me what's happening? What's with these people?_

_I dunno_, Lucan replied nonchalantly. _But they seem to think you're some kind of hero. I'm not really sure about the details, but Amy got them to go get the guy in charge. He'll explain things hopefully_. And right on cue, the crowd in front of me began to make way for someone. Spacing themselves apart from each other to allow a single man to step forward before me. He was rather tall, long blonde hair, green eyes, in his early thirties, and for some reason, he was wearing a set of ceremonial robes that wouldn't have looked out of place at a monestary. Which was odd seeing as how everyone else was wearing normal clothes. He and I locked eyes for a moment, both of us completely unaware of the other's intentions. But then the man broke into a smile and I felt the same admiration coming from him. He then turned around, facing the crowds, keeping the grin he had.

"Everyone!" The man spoke out to the many people. "Our great hero has returned!" My heart froze as the mob cheered ecstatically. Great hero? That didn't bode well. There were many things I was running through my brain. Should I just grab Amy and go? Should I try to explain to these people that I'm not who they think? Should I play dead? There were a million possible things I could do, considering the situation. But not one of those things involved what Lucan was about to suggest.

_Ven, _Lucan said to me, _I think you should transform to your human form. _

_What? _I exclaimed silently. _Are you crazy?_

_Think about it. They're seeing you as a hero. Odds are, they're not gonna lock you up in a lab and study you. Just do it, you'll be fine._

As the crowd continued to cheer, I weighed my options. Revealing myself would cause confusion, but they most likely wouldn't hurt me. On the other hand, I didn't want a chance of being tested on in some sort of bio-lab or whatever they call it. But then a thought occured to me. What if this was the island with the medallion on it? It was the only one Amy and I had come across, and there wasn't much chance of more than one island this big appearing in the middle of the Pacific Ocean (Save for the Hawaiians). If that was the case, there was only one choice.

_Reverse, _I thought, letting the traditional light surround and transform me. My body shrunk down to human size and the light dissapated. When I opened my eyes after the light faded, I was greeted by a mob of shocked expressions. Almost every single person in the crowds had the same look of confusion and surprise. At that time I did the only thing I could think of.

"Uh...hi," I said rather quietly. Amy face-palmed and I could only smile at her awkwardly. The guy in the robes approached me cautiously. I didn't say a thing. What could I say? No, seriously, I want an answer to that question. What are you supposed to say after you transform from giant bird creature to teenage boy in front of a crowd of applauding people? Nothing, that's what. You wait for the other person to make the first move.

"Are you...?" The guy finally said after stuttering for a bit. It wasn't a whole sentence, but hey, it was a start.

"Yes," I replied, assuming what the rest of the sentence was.

"You're our hero?"

"I...think you might have me confused with-" I paused. I looked back at the statue. There was a reason I thought that thing was my father. It didn't just look like a Lugia, it was crafted to the last detail. So much so, that it could only represent one Lugia in particular. That, coupled with the fact that it looked so very familiar led me to believe only one thing, "-my father."

Yeah, that was the conclusion I came to. Whether it was true or not, it was good enough for the man in front of me. He broke out into another broad grin and lowered himself in another bow. And just like the first time, I was really taken aback. "It's an honor to meet you, son of our great hero. Might you tell me your name?"

"Uh...Ventus," I told him as I tried to piece together what was happening.

"Well Ventus, my name is Rallis, I am what you might call the mayor of our little village."

_Little he says, _I thought as I once again took a look at the number of people who wanted to see me.

"Please forgive the stares. We have only heard of you and your father's kind in legends and stories of oral tellings. I take it from your expression that you are unaware of what your father has done for us?"

"Yeah, I don't know much about my father at all, actually." I paused again, waiting for Rallis to get up from his bow. Things were pretty awkward as is. I didn't need him doing that while we talked. Once he stood up straight, I decided to tell him why I was here. "Me and my friend here are looking for something important. We thought we might be able to find it here."

"It would be my pleasure to help you find this object you're looking for. But, that may take some time. If you're going to be here for an extended period, I'd be honored if you would stay with me and my son."

"Um," I really didn't want to impose. But finding that medallion might really take longer than I realized. Fortunately, I wouldn't have to consider my options, because Amy was about to make my decision for me. She grabbed my shoulders and looked me right in the eye.

"You'd better say yes," she whispered with a touch of anger. "My dad didn't pack any food!"

I gulped and turned back to Rallis. "We'd be happy to stay here for a while." I really didn't want to get Amy any angrier. Do you know how strong she is?

"Well excellent," Rallis replied, completely overjoyed. "Please, follow me." He motioned for Amy and I to follow. The crowds made a path for us as we walked past them, staring at me all the while. I still wasn't used to being the center of attention, so to my shame, I put my hood up. Even though I was in human form, I could still feel the admiration and respect coming from these people, and I hated it. I know it's stupid, but I really wasn't used to being stared at. Lucan gave me a reassuring pat on my neck, that made me feel a little better. But overall, there was only one thought on my mind. What did my dad do?

"Nice digs," Amy said as we approached Rallis' place. And it certainly was. The wooden building stood alone at the mountainside, almost shrine-like in its isolation. The building itself had a sort of temple-ish quality to it, the entrance having no door, just an entryway in the wall. We walked through the threshold and stepped into what I could technically call the altar in here, was another perfect statue of my father, this one made of wood. These people really needed another hobby. I looked back to Rallis who seemed to sense my feelings toward this situation.

"We hold a great respect for your father, as you can see," he said, acting as this put an end to the matter. I gave Lucan a look, to see if he had any clue about what was up here; but all he gave me was a shrug and some reflected confusion. As for Amy, she was too hungry to care. She had made that apparent on the walk over. We made our way past the wooden Lugia, into a hallway with multiple doors running along both sides. And that was it. The whole thing had to be pretty much made up of about ten rooms, tops. "Please, right this way," Rallis said as he brought us to the furthest door on the left. On the other side wasn't anything special, but it made Amy shriek with joy nonetheless. A dining room.

"YES!" She yelled at the top of her lungs. I had to hand it to her. She was never afraid to express herself. She was the complete opposite of Rallis' son. Whereas she's fun to be around, he was...here, read for yourself.

"You back dad?" I heard a voice say from behind me. I turned back, looking at Rallis: teenage version. No really, this kid was the spitting image of his father. Same dirty blonde hair, same green eyes, the only differences were in the size and the clothes. He was obviously around my age, maybe a year or two younger; and while his father seemed to wear these old-fashioned robes that belonged in a temple somewhere, he looked more...normal. He was dressed for summer, which was good seeing as how he was on a tropical island. He stared at me, then at Amy, then took a step back upon seeing Lucan.

_Don't worry, _Lucan thought, using me to speak. _I don't bite...much._

After recovering from seeing Lucan, his eyes went back to me. "He the guy?" He asked his dad, feigning as much interest as possible.

"I'd like to think so," I replied, utterly bewildered at how this kid avoided seeing me in the first place. But I didn't show it and instead held out my hand to shake. "Ventus, nice to meet you."

The guy didn't exactly react like I expected. First, he stared at my hand with an arched eyebrow, as if he was unfamiliar with the concept of a handshake. And when he finally did shake my hand, he didn't even look me in the eye. He was more interested in the dust building up in the corner of the room. I arched an eyebrow of my own, suddenly feeling the need to punch this kid if he got any ruder.

Apparently Rallis got the same feeling I did. That the guy wouldn't be telling me his name anytime soon. "Ah, Ventus, this is my son, Jet." 'Jet' gave me a quick nod of acknowledgement, walked away, grabbed a chair, and sat himself down at the table, avoiding as much eye contact as possible.

_Oooooookay, _Lucan said more to me than anyone else. _What's his deal?_

_No clue, _I thought back_._

Much to Amy's joy, Rallis did cook us something. It really wasn't expected of him to feed us, but one look at Amy said different. Besides, it was rather delicious, albeit a little vegetarian for my tastes. Seriously, the people on this island were apparently on an all vegan diet. No talk of meat was had. On my plate were a selection of fruits and vegetables that wouldn't have looked out of place in a salad.

When I'd cleaned my plate and Amy's hunger had been sated, I took it upon myself to finally get to the question that had been on my mind for hours. "Rallis," I said finally, "what exactly did my father do for this place?"

Rallis' explanation was a little fragmented. As in, he kept talking about how great my father was in between relevant sentences. I'll give you the gist of it. The island town that they were living on had in fact existed for nearly two centuries. They were an independant people, not relying on the mainland for anything. Being so isolated, they taught themselves farming teqhniques and to live off the land, which did explain the rabbit-food diet. Over the years, they did eventually take up some cues from the mainland, they weren't primitive. Most thankfully was the indoor plumbing but that's not the point. The point is is that it was a pretty peaceful place.

Well, peaceful except for one little incident. According to Rallis, around a hundred years earlier, disaster struck. Natural disaster that is. One day, the weather got pretty sketchy to say the least. Clouds shed constant tears over the land, thunder and wind storms of the worst kind ravaged the island. It wasn't a fun couple of weeks. But that wasn't the worst of it. Far from it. What happened next? One word. Tsunami.

If you've ever seen a real tsunami, you know it doesn't start with a giant wave crushing civilizations. The ocean's waters actually receed further away from the shore, leaving only barren land in its place. Depending on how big the wave's gonna be is how long this stage lasts. That's when the real trouble starts. After the water amasses out to sea, it comes back with a vengeance. The tsunami actually begins, and the immense waves begin to crash onto the shore. That's when the destruction starts.

"According to the tale, after the water receeded, our perople had no idea of what was happening," Rallis said, continuing his tale. "Most of our history is told through oral tellings. So, as far as tsunamis go, we hadn't really had a record of one. We weren't prepared for when it came. And when the first wave appeared, our predecessors thought they were done for. They could do nothing but pray for salvation."

"And it came, Ventus, in the form of your father," I blinked at him, still requiring an explanation. Rallis apparently thought I didn't need one, but after seeing that I did, made an addition to his statements. "Oh, I'm sorry, I thought you knew of the abilities he had."

"There's a reaon for that," I replied, answering his confusion.

"Anyway, what your father did defies logic and probability, to put it simply, it will sound impossible."

_So what else is new_? I thought to myself.

"According to the story, he appeared as if from nowhere. He just showed up, between us and the oncoming waves. No one knows for sure what he did, or how he did it, but when he appeared, the waters calmed. The skies cleared. The turmoil ended."

"Really? Just like that?"

"Just like that." Rallis answered, nearing the end of his story. "After that, he flew over our home once, and only once, never to be seen again." Rallis paused as we took all of it in. Well, until I took it in. Lucan had fallen asleep in my lap and Amy was more interested in playing with her hair. And as for Jet, if I didn't know better I'd say he was as much a statue as the one of my father. He kept his gaze on the wall, as if he'd heard this tale a million times before. And who knows, maybe he had.

"From memory, our best sculptors created several statues of your father, our hero," Rallis went on, pausing at certain points, allowing me to think to myself for a bit.

_Huh, _I thought as Rallis continued to praise my dad. _This must've all happened before the portals closed up. But why did my dad come here? I mean, this one's pretty unphenomenal compared to the other ones Lucan told me about. _This was true. No matter which way you looked at it, this world wasn't that interesting. This question would haunt me for a while, but for the moment I dropped it.

"For years now, we have passed down this tale orally through the generations. And for a time now, some of us have passed it off as fiction. Even though elders have encouraged that this event truly occured, we failed to pass it off as fact. But not anymore. You're living proof of it Ventus. I too was having my doubts before you came along. Ventus, on behalf of the people in my village, I thank you for coming and restoring our faith in the legend."

My face flushed red again. I wasn't used to such praise and I wasn't exactly sure how to feel. Thankfully, I didn't have to think about it long. Amy made sure of that.

_Hey Ven, _Lucan said to me, briefly rousing himself, _maybe you should tell Rallis why we're here. I mean, we still need to find that medallion._

_Sure thing, _I replied, _but I might need your help filling in some of the details._

_If I can stay awake, _Lucan said as he yawned loudly. Unfortunately, he did start snoozing about halfway through the explanation and I had to strain my memory. And believe me, it wasn't easy. Ecspecially when Rallis started asking questions. Now, remember that I didn't know squat about myself, my father or my species in general. So when he starts questioning where my kind came from, I had to make up some stuff. If my dad never learned about that moment, I wouldn't have complained.

Anyway, I had to make Rallis understand how important it was for me to find the medallion. As I explained my situation, I tried to stress how much I needed to get back to my world. It was odd, throughout the entire time I talked I never once thought of the odd and violent dream I'd had just a few hours earlier. I told all about my previous ones, but this particular dream made me shudder just thinking about it. It's not exactly a cheery thought.

But I'll talk about the dream later. Bottom line, I told Rallis all I knew and then some. And long story short, Rallis agreed to help me find the next medallion. Once I got it, I'd be one step closer to home.

When Amy simply couldn't stay awake anymore, Rallis showed us to a couple of rooms we could use. So after saying thanks to Rallis, Amy and I left the room for some z's. Heading down the hallway, towards the two doors closest to the exit, Lucan still zonked out in my arms. I was ready for a long sleep myself, but Amy had a few more words to say as I took the doorknob in my hand.

"Pretty unlikely huh?" She said, pausing long enough for me to turn around. "Your dad coming here I mean. Like, what was he doing here anyway?"

"Dunno," I replied, "maybe I'll ask him sometime."

"Sure you don't want me to take him?" She asked as she pointed to Lucan.

"Naw, you can't read his mind anyway. He can't really talk without me y'know."

"What's he dreaming about?"

"Something called a pokemon exploration team. It's all giberish to me, anyway. Night Amy."

"Don't let the darklings bite."

_Don't tempt them, _I was able to put that thought in her brain before shutting the door on her and observing my sleeping arrangements. Not too shabby. King-sized bed, nice big window, and my own bathroom. I let out a yawn. I didn't realize how tired talking can make you. I took a couple of pillows off the bed and put them on the floor, placing Lucan delicately on them. I watched him for a couple seconds, seeing him breathe peacefully. I imagined for a second that I would like that if I'd stayed as a Lugia. Totally relaxed. Oh well, I thought. t was time for bed. So after taking off my hoodie and T-shirt, I slipped under the covers, falling into the deep comfort of sleep in a real bed for the first time since the whole mad situation began. About time.

_I flew fast. getting as far away as I could. Had I really just done that? How could I lose control like that? I just felt so...angry, it was insufferable. But there was no excuse for what I had done. I'd destroyed a village, I might have killed someone had I been there a minute more. It was then that I realized just how much I needed him. I couldn't wait for him to return, I would have to go and search for him myself. _

_I flew onwards, looking for the one thing that would give me hope. There was only one way I could get to him. I needed a portal. The doorways between the worlds had been appearing like wildfire as of late. If I could find one, just one, no matter how small it was, there was hope. I was desperate to see him again, and I didn't care what I had to do. Tears of anger and sadness tore at my eyes as my search continued._

_Then I saw it. Between the continuous raindrops I saw it. A tear in the very air opening to reveal a bright blue light. It was as if reality itself had been ripped apart to become this portal. And in a way, it had. The rip in space, which would accomodate my immense size, did not however seem very stable. It was sparking sporadically, and didn't look very safe overall. But that didn't matter. I needed to find him. It was all that mattered. I needed to embrace him again. I needed to feel his thoughts commmingling with mine. I needed him. I needed my son. I needed Ventus._

Wait, was I talking about myself? As soon as my name was said, I began to regain my sense of self. I didn't know what was going on, but somehow, I'd been feeling and thinking exactly what my father had. Don't expect to understand, I didn't myself, but somehow, my mind had merged with my father's. I was still looking from his perspective, and that wouldn't do. I focused all I could on unhinging my mind from his. It's an odd feeling, sharing a body with someone. Ecspecially when you're not the one in control.

It took some concentration, but I felt myself break out of that state, severing myself from my father's mind. I was dazed from the disconnection at first. It was hard to support my own mind in such a dreamstate. After getting ahold of myself I was finally able to realize just what was going on. I would've gotten excited about my father being right in front of me, but I had a bigger problem. He was about to go through a portal that wasn't nearly powerful enough. Hell, that crack in space-time looked like it would fall apart before it would get anyone to another world. I wasn't all too familiar with the way these things worked, but I was pretty darn sure that if you went into one that distorted, you wouldn't come out.

I had to react fast. The only problem of trying to prevent my dad from going through that hole, was that I clearly had no body. It was a surreal experience to say the least, not breathing. Oh well, with my psychic abilities at full strength, I tried with all my might to restrain him. _Father stop! _I thought to him, hoping against hope it got through. It didn't. And let's face it, I've got a lot less experience with the telepathic stuff. With a psychic shove, he tossed me aside like last week's meatloaf, barely even acknowledging my presence. Obviously, he didn't know it was me. But I wasn't gonna give up that easily. As I kareened downwards, I sent out a wave of psychic energy that hit it's target, stunning my dad momentarily. After realigning myself, I rushed upwards, placing myself between my father and the portal.

_Father, please stop! _I silently shouted. It was odd. I'd never technically even met my father, and yet...I dunno, guess I just didn't want him to fly into his gruesome death. _Father, it's me! Stop! Father! _Despite every one of these efforts, he stared right through me. As I looked straight into my behemoth of a father's eyes, all I saw was an anger and a sorrow that knew no bounds. He wouldn't listen to me.

It was at that time how much I understood how big an impact my absence had made on him. He had, in all senses of the concept, lost his reason. He missed me. So much he missed me that he had literally gone crazy out of misery. I realized that my mother and I were really all he had. But he wasn't going to listen to me. He didn't recognize my voice. I had to think of something, something I could say that would make him listen to me. Anything.

And there it was. I thought of something. All of sudden I thought of one single word that could calm my father down. I knew this word so well, and I knew it would be the only one to work.

My mother's name.

_Luna! _I said as loud as my mind could let me. _Your mate's name is Luna! _

Change was immediate in my father. His eyes calmed, he ceased flying foward, and he hardly reacted as the portal began to close. And even more subtly, the pace of the rain began to slow and eventually stop. My anxiety too began to vanish as the anger and rage I felt from him disappear.

And here's where I hit an awkward moment. I just realized that he had regained his reason, but now I found myself in another fix. Not as serious as the last one, but still a difficult one. My long-lost father was right in front of me, he was the only family I had left. But still, there was a fact that I had still overlooked.

I...felt nothing for him.

Now, before you peg me as the worst person ever, just listen. I didn't know this guy. He may have been my father, but I still felt no connection. I didn't see my own flesh and blood when I looked at him, all I saw was a person desperately missing his family. A family, I didn't think I was a part of. I didn't know what I should've done. But I did do something. I woke up. Although in my opinion, it probably would've been better if I'd stayed asleep.

Pure, unadulterated, unnatural, excrutiating pain shot through my arms and hit me in the heart like there was no tomorrow as I awakened. Every nerve in my body was hit with a feeling of being enflamed. I thrashed around wildly, the pain being too intense to even scream. No mortal force, no matter how strong could compare to what I was feeling. My soul burned as my mind screamed out for release. The mere shock of this agony was too much for me to bear. I begged, _pleaded _for release. I bit down on my pillow, and with the last my control over the situation, flipped onto my front.

Have you ever broken a bone? Do you know how much that hurts? If you have, then you have NO idea how much pain I was in. Breaking bones? Try growing them. I heard over a dozen cracks as the bones in my back were painfully rearranged. They bended, morphed and changed into their new shapes with as much agony as possible. I whimpered pathetically as my spine rearranged itself to accomadate my changes.

This was sheer torture. Rivers of tears poured from my eyes as the pain continued to build up. Why couldn't I just die? I didn't think it could get any worse.

But don't worry, it did. All of a sudden my back felt like a total of ten nails had been hammered into my back. Then, with a loud crunching noise, those points of pain each became a brand new bone, shooting up out of my back like a rocket. My voice was in shock, not a scream passed my lips. I couldn't-no, I _wouldn't _take this anymore. Please...just let me die.

And then, as quickly as it came, it stopped. The pain receeded, and I was left in a heap on that mattress. The tears of pain I had shed stung at my face as I breathed shallow breaths. I hate my life.

_Ven, what happened-whoa! _The familiar sound of Lucan's thoughts spoke out to me. _Ven, you got-!_

"Water," I said between breaths. I didn't exactly have the strength to say anything else, so all I did was send Lucan an image of turning on the showerhead in the bathroom. I needed water on my skin. Either it was just me or the heat in the room had just gone up a few hundred degrees. I heard Lucan dash over to the bathroom as I managed to drag myself out of bed and over there as well. I stumbled through the doorway and keeled over the side of the bathtub as Lucan turned the valve, letting warm water flow out of the showerhead.

"Ah! Hot!" I said simply as the heat of the water blasted at my back. Actually, to a normal person, it wouldn't have been that hot at all. In fact it would be rather pleasant. But when I felt that water touch my skin, it burned too much for words. As soon as Lucan turned on the cold water, I felt a lot better. Nice and cool, refreshing.

This went on for a few minutes. Just me having cold water soak me, taking shallow breaths. The pain of that episode was finally dying down and I was getting myself all back together. Although I still felt a bit...odd. I reached for my back, as that was what had been through the ordeal.

Oh...dear...God. I stood myself up, still a little dizzy from the pain, but I had bigger problems. I looked in the small mirror provided for me, my jaw dropping at what I saw.

Protruding from my back were ten very familiar-looking navy blue plates. I reached back and touched one, to make sure they were indeed real. Yeah, they were solid. I sighed. I knew my body would be adapting to my new form, but I never thought it would be that painful. That little episode didn't bode well.

Lucan hopped up to my shoulder, giving me a reassuring pat on the back of my head. "Do me a favor," I said, staring at the plates on my back, "don't tell Amy."

**End of Chapter Five!**

**Wow, I am so sorry about how long that took. That was an inhuman amount of time to wait for this chapter and I'm very very sorry. And I know this chapter's not the best, but I've had an insane amount of writer's block. **

**Once again, I apologize, have a good day!**


	6. Over the Rainbow

**Again, sorry for the wait. Real life's just a big roadblock ain't it? Anyway, I apologize for how much I jump from scene to scene in this chapter. The last one and this one were meant to be in the same chapter but I thought that would be a little too long. **

Chapter 6: Over The Rainbow

_Sure you can hide them? _Lucan asked as he stared at the blue plates on my back. The smell of morning dew was entering the bedroom as the sun rose outside my window.

"Well, I'm gonna try," I replied, as I got accustomed to the new body parts. It wasn't easy, but I eventually was able to flatten the plates against my back. After putting my shirt and hoodie back on, I took a look back in the mirror of the bathroom. It was seamless. Nobody could tell I'd just morphed if they had x-ray vision.

"That'll do it," I said as I moved toward the window, opening it up wide. I took in the brisk morning air with closed eyes, my lungs expanding with the pleasant coolness.

And then reality came back to me. I remembered my "dream." My dad was out of control back in the other world. And so far, I just had one medallion. Well, technically Amy had it but you know what I mean. I don't know what happened to him after I got back in my own head. He could've gone through that portal for all I know. All I could do was hope he was okay. I needed to get this out of my head. I had to believe my meddling had convinced him to stay put until I got there. I looked at my feather marking again. Yeah. He'd be fine.

The sunshine didn't last long. A mere couple of hours later, the clouds began to roll in. Thunder struck, and the rain...the rain seemed to never stop. It poured from the sky in buckets, drenching everything below the clouds. Once I'd left my room and had breakfast with Rallis, Amy and Jet, Rallis suggested that I wait until tomorrow to find that medallion due to the rain.

"I'm uh...grateful for the hospitality and all," I started off rather awkwardly, "but the faster I find that medallion, the better."

"Yeah, what's a little rain? Huh Zack?" I sighed as Amy said this. Would she ever learn my real name? Then again, I had trouble learning it myself a little while ago.

I felt sorry for Rallis though. It was obvious he was overjoyed to have the son of his hero staying in his own house and happy that he had living proof of the legend he had heard so many times. But I couldn't stick around forever. And honestly, I wasn't too fond of being that legend.

And as for Jet, he had his own agenda. Once he was finished eating, he got up to leave, "accidentally" giving me a rough shove on his way out. I watched him leave as the door shut behind him. I would never figure out that guy's problem. He just wanted to be a constant pain in the neck.

But enough about that thorn in my side. I soon found myself out of the warm heated comfort of the nice insulated building, and going from door to door of the wooden buildings in the small island village with Amy. We asked everyone within if they had a medallion like Amy's. The villagers, were more than happy to comply. One look at me, no matter how drenched I was, and they rushed into their houses, grabbing all the jewellery they had in order to find what I was looking for. The children carried out anything their parents couldn't manage. Some of the smaller ones had tried to use me for a piggy-back ride while their parents distracted me. It must've been odd for them, seeing their legendary beast in human form (If we're not including the new spines on my back). But no matter how many people I asked, no matter how many jewellery boxes I had searched through, there was no medallion in sight.

Until we came to the last hut in the village that is. I knocked on the door with tired eyes and a thoroughly soaked head. Amy was no better, although she actually had packed a coat. Lucky girl.

An old man in a kimono appeared from behind the wooden door. He was hunched over with a walking stick and it didn't surprise me that he was missing a few teeth. Still, he was the only one left, so it was worth it.

"Sorry to bother you sir," I said for about the hundrenth time that day. And as with the others, this old man too attempted to bow. I say "attempted" because he looked like he already had a bad back as it was. It looked painful and I got him to stop as fast as I could. "But would you happen to have seen anything that looks like this." I held up Amy's medallion, expecting it to be another dead end.

But to my amazement, the man nodded his head. "I've seen such an item. Quite recently, actually."

"Really?" I no less than shouted. "Do you have it now?"

"That's complicated, please come in." We did so gratefully, Lucan shaking like a dog would to get all the moisture out of his fur. The problem was, he was on my shoulder.

I wiped my feet on a straw-sewn rug as the distinct odour of cooking fish entered my nostrils. The old man walked further down the wooden candlelit foyer to meet an elderly woman with oven mitts who he kissed gently. The old woman's eyes soon found me and she spoke, suddenly.

"Oh, hello," she greeted us at the height of cheerfulness. And for once, she didn't bow. That was refreshing. Anyway, in no time we had adjourned to the old couple's living room, which consisted of a pair of couches with a coffee table between them. The woman surprisingly brought in some fish kabobs that weren't half bad. Conversation arose in no time.

"Not to be rude," Amy began, "but why do you guys eat fish? Rallis had nothing but rabbit-food." Okay, that may have sounded rude, but luckily the old man just laughed. She was right, Rallis had indeed only served fruit and vegetables.

"Yes, we're of the few people who still enjoy a diet of fish. It used to be one of our island's main sources of food. But somewhere along the way we just stopped eating it. But that doesn't stop Jet from coming around every once in a while."

"Jet...Jet...I feel like I've heard that name." Was she kidding? I whispered to her the obvious answer and she just started snickering, not the least bit embarrassed. I sighed and officially gave up on her. "Oh yeah, that guy."

The old guy just let out another chuckle. Well, I had to give the guy points for being a good sport. "Yes, Jet's a good kid. His mother disappeared not too long ago, you see. Ever since, he's been more distant from his family. He's had a rough time of it."

"I'm sorry to hear that," I said with pure sympathy. Jet and I were more alike than I thought. Losing your mother. It's like losing the sun in the sky. "Wait, you said family. Does that mean there's more than Rallis?"

"Well yes, of course. We are his grandparents after all."

"Oh, really? I see." So basically, what he was telling me was that Jet's mother had disappeared without a trace, from a perfectly good family and life? Now that smelled fishy, and it wasn't because we were eating halibut.

"But you're not here to hear about our family's problems. You're here for the trinket aren't you?"

"Um...yes. It would be best if we had it as soon as possible."

"Yes. You see, that's the problem." I didn't like the sound of that. Those words always foreboded something. "We don't have it."

"Hey! You said you did!" Amy blurted out suddenly. I would need to teach her proper manners. "Could you please make up your mind? I've been running in the rain all day and I don't feel like going out there again without accomplishing something."

"I'm sorry, but we truly don't have it," the elderly woman said approaching her husband's side. "But we have seen it."

"Please, it's very important that I get it," I replied. We were so close. I could almost feel the small jewelled amulet in my grasp.

"That's going to be difficult. We don't even know for sure that it is what you need, but," the old man was beginning to trail off. He just seemed a little less willing to talk, "I can't say for sure you can have it."

"What do you mean?"

"Jet has it. He's always had it."

"That...he..." I couldn't believe Jet. He listened to my story, he knew I needed that thing! I'd express my feelings, but Amy did a lot better.

"I'll rip that little jerk's head off!" She screamed with the most violent tone I'd heard anyone have. Remember who my stepfather was now. "He had it the whole time? He's a dead man!"

"Amy, please," I pleaded, "let's here what the situation is before we blow up about it, okay?" Oh boy, I was getting a smacking for that later. The look she gave me made it seem like I'd slapped her across the face...with a sledgehammer.

"Yes, he has it. But I don't think he'll want to part with it." He paused. "His mother gave it to him."

"I see." I replied. That's what I was afraid of. Jet's mom was missing, and if she gave that thing to him, it might get tough. "I won't force him to part with it." I said that to let the old couple know that I wouldn't make Jet do anything. But, I also needed them to know that I needed that medallion. Which is why I said this next. "But I hope you know, that that piece of jewellery is more important to me, and my parents than you will ever realize."

"I understand that. But please, all I ask, is that you be gentle with the boy. He won't let it go without a fight."

"I will." It was a lie of course. I wasn't gonna hurt him, but I knew if I was gonna get that medallion from him, I was going to need to say some things. Things, I didn't want to say.

Of course, first I'd have to find the guy. And that was no easy task. When we returned to Rallis' place, he was long gone.

"Do you know where he went?" I asked Rallis when it was made apparent that Jet was nowhere in sight. "I need to talk to him right now."

Rallis never gave an answer. All he did was mumble something about being sorry and ran off. I've not met an odder man since. We left the small house soon after.

"So now what do we do?" Amy asked with high hopes.

"I don't intend to wait for him," I replied rather seriously. "He's still on this island, and we're gonna find him. You check the village and I'll fly around the island, see if he's-" I really hate not being able to finish my sentences. And these stupid darklings weren't making that any easier.

The sky had once again gone purple. Are you really surprised at this point? And once again, an orb of dark slime had begun to manifest itself and slowly descend from the cloudless sky.

Suicune was coming back.

"Not her again," I groaned, "I thought she got the message."

_Apparently not, _said Lucan, hopping on my shoulder. _So, are you gonna take her out?_

"I'm gonna have to," I started to walk towards the village in stride, but Amy stopped me by grabbing my shoulders and turning me around.

"Wait just a sec'," she said, looking me in the eye. "Doesn't finding the medallion take priority here?"

"No. Saving people's lives take priority actually," whoa, did I really say that? Was it just me or was I standing up to her more often?

"I don't think both of us need to go," she said to me quite clearly and without her usual tone of silliness. "Why don't I take care of her? I think I've got this transformation stuff down."

"Amy you-? Seriously?" I was amazed. She was amazing. She was willing to throw herself into the ring, just so I could find the medallion? Just so I could be one step closer to home? She was a lot wiser than I thought. And I thoroughly regret underestimating her every day.

I looked into her brown eyes. When I first met Amy, she was a tomboy looking for excitement. Now, a mere three days later, she was ready to do something so huge for me.

"Just get back as soon as you can, 'kay? I don't know how long I can hold her off."

"Right. Lucan," I turned to the yellow mouse on my shoulder. "Go with her. She may need some advice. I'll try to give your thoughts to her from a distance."

_You can do that? _Lucan asked me.

"Maybe. I'll do one quick sweep of the island and then come on back. Amy," I paused. She was taking a big risk. But I wouldn't allow her to kill herself while trying. "For once, just listen. Don't do anything stupid. If it looks like it's getting tough. Run. I can't stress that enough."

"Only if you find Jet. Deal?" I simply glared at her. This was no time for jokes, not even lighthearted ones. Her expression changed and for the first time, she was serious. "Alright, I get it."

"Then go and send that dog to the pound."

"That's all you got? I'm going to have to teach you proper humor." Good, she could teach me that while I was giving her lessons in manners. Then, thankfully, I remembered how we ran into a little problem earlier.

"You...remember how to transform, right?" I asked, really not sounding sure. She just chuckled some more.

"Naw, I got it this time," she replied as she got her medallion ready to roll.

"Ready?"

"Ready."

"Silver Soul!"

"Frozen Soul!"

We said our catch phrases and the adventure of the day began. The transformations were swift this time, maybe a little too quick. But regardless, I looked down at Amy once the light faded to see that she had succeeded. An Articuno, she was. Lucan rested on her shoulder.

I gave her wing an encouraging pat with my own. She was still a little weirded out by the whole transformation deal. I sensed her perk up.

She winked at me and flew off. It was okay. I knew that village was okay in her hands...talons...whatever. As for me, Jet was waiting for me. I lifted off myself, making sure to keep low so that Suicune didn't see me as I scanned for Jet.

The island was pretty large. It had four section, basically. The village, a forest, a beach on the far side of the island, and the miniature mountain smack-dab in the middle. My eyes darted between the trees as I hovered over the forest, hoping against hope Jet was within plain sight. My mind began racing, thinking thoughts like: 'What if we don't find him?' 'He's really asking for it if he's hiding!' and 'Hey, there he is! No, wait, that's a rock.' Long story short, it wasn't a very successful search.

Until I reached the beach that is. Because there he was, staring right at the purple sky, his mouth agape. I flew down to meet him and his shock increased as I lighted down about ten feet away from him. Upon realizing who the big God-like bird was, he closed his mouth and began to back away. I put my wings to my sides in an effort to appear non-hostile. I wasn't exactly sure about how I would go about this. I assumed being human might ease the tension a little bit.

_Reverse, _I thought as the transformation occured. I half expected Jet to be running into the forest once the light faded, but he didn't. He was still there. And fortunately, he was there to finally tell me what his beef was.

"So it's true then?" He asked rhetorically with an arched eyebrow. "You really are...that bird."

"Yeah," I paused. I wasn't sure how to start, and I wasn't sure how he'd react once I did. But I decided on this: "You know why I'm here Jet."

"You can't have it!" Jet put his hand in his shorts' pocket. Medallion or not, he was protective of that thing. This was going to be tough, then again, I had expected it to be.

"Jet. Just try to understand. I need that medallion to-"

"No!" He was beginning to back away, I had to say something or he'd be getting away.

"Please, listen. If I don't get back to my home soon, my father may not make it." I was telling the truth. My father had almost killed himself the previous night. And as far as I could see, it was only going to get worse.

"It's your dad's fault." That was Jet's response. And I gotta say, it was confusing. I admit, I was quite insensitive at this point, replying with a simple "Huh?"

"It's your dad's fault. I saw you talkin' to Gramps. It's...it's your dad's fault my mom left my dad...and me. So why should I let you get back with him? I...I...I want that bastard to be miserable!"

"What are you talking about?"

"She...she believed in the legend about your dad a lot. She wanted to meet him, so much. So...she left." Jet paused here. We were already pretty deep into this conversation. I gotta say, I felt for him. He had lost his mother, and if it was for that reason, than that kind of explained Jet's hostility towards me. And who knows, he could be what I would not accept was him calling my dad a bastard. I may not have known my dad at all, but he was family.

"Alright, listen you!" Jet was taken aback from my outburst. And he should've. I was about to tear his world apart. "I don't know you. And quite frankly, I don't want to know you. You blame my father for something he had no control over. I'm sorry he saved your island. I'm sorry that because of him, you had a person to descend from." On an unrelated note, I began to feel a burning sensation in my torso, but I ignored it for the moment. It wasn't as important as handing Jet a slice of reality. "I don't know where your mother is, so sue me, but here's a clue for 'ya Jack! She didn't leave you because of my dad. Excuse me if I don't feel a little sympathetic, but at least," I paused again, getting ready to drop the bomb on him, "at least your mom is still alive."

In retrospect, I may have gone a teensy bit overboard. I don't think I'd ever come off as aggressive as that before. What can I say? I was either getting much braver, or much more stupid. I wasn't the only one surprised though. To Jet, I'd been a pretty timid and subdued guy up to now. But after my little speech, he was pretty shaken up. I began to approach, and he didn't run. When I was close enough, I held out my hand.

"Please, Jet." Those were my only two words. What else was I gonna say? But I wasn't going to have to say anything. Because Jet, was starting to tear up.

"It-it-it's not fair!" His eyes were welling up in tears. I backed off a little. I didn't think I was THAT intense. In seconds the guy was literally bawling his eyes out. I wasn't sure exactly what to do.

To make matters worse, the burning sensation I had felt earlier began to intensify. So much so, that I began to feel like my skin was melting off the front of my body. I held in there if only so Jet could wouldn't take the chance to escape.

"Please...don't take it." Jet said as he continued to sob. I had to admit, despite the current scalding of my skin, I was steadily feeling worse about this. "I need it. It's the only thing I have left of her. I'm begging you."

"You really love your mom, huh?" I was beginning to get an idea. All in all, Jet wasn't so bad. Just a little...unbalanced.

"More than anything. Please."

I sighed. And grunted. I was half-focused on the conversation and half-focused on the pain of the burning sensation. Seriously, what was that?

"Let me see it for a minute."

"Wh-wh-what?"

"Just a minute, then I'll give it back, I promise." I held out my hand once more. Now, it may have been the pain from the assault on my skin, but I was clearly NOT thinking straight. I had no idea what I was doing. Then again, I've had no idea what I've been doing this whole time. Jet hesitated. He wasn't sure what would happen when he gave me the medallion. Neither was I for that manner. Eventually, he reached into his pocket and showed me what I needed.

The medallion was just like Amy's right down to the bead-necklace and diamond-shaped jewel on the amulet. The only difference was color, and boy was there a lot of it. I say this because the color changed constantly. One minute it was yellow, then blue, then red, then gold, and all colors of the rainbow. It was surreal, and it made for one of the most painful experiences of my life.

The moment I grabbed the medallion from Jet's hand, two things happened. The medallion began to glow intensely, indicating its activation, and the burning I'd been feeling shot up a few hundred degrees. I screamed as I keeled over, holding my stomach as smoke, literal SMOKE began coming off my chest. I unzipped my hoodie and tossed it off with the hand without a medallion so I could inspect the latest transformation. And this one's a doozy.

My shirt was melting. The fabric was quite literally turning into a liquid, molten material that burned every part of me it touched. But it wasn't melting off of me, oh no. The blue scalding liquid was travelling to my belly, burning every inch of body hair off.

Or at least that's what I assumed. I was barely conscious throughout this. I was screaming my head off, I was burning alive. Having your DNA rewritten is not a painless experience. Being burnt is the most painful thing that can happen to a human being. Needles of boiling heat bled into my form as smoke clouded my vision.

I remember hearing a sound like a 'pop' and then I felt the liquid begin to solidify. In seconds it was over. Once the smoke cleared, I collapsed. My skin was still boiling hot. Saying it felt as though I'd just stepped out of a sauna is an understatement. My skin was beet red, well, except for one little patch. I propped myself up on my right hand and took a look at my torso.

Oh...God. My belly was now the home of the light blue emblem of feathers of my Lugia form. I no longer had any body hair, it had all been burned off, and the skin of my belly now had an addition. It was feathery to the touch. I had grown feathers on my skin. That, and I no longer had a belly button. The transformation was accelerating. More and more traits of my lugian self were popping up daily.

Suddenly I remembered that Jet was standing right in front of me, watching everything. Not only had he seen that transformation, but he could also blatantly see the navy blue plates on my back. I groped around behind me for my hoodie, putting it on and zipping it up all the way as soon as I got a hold of it. I stood up, brushed the sand off myself and looked back at Jet's gaping face.

"This is what's happening to me Jet," I said, resisting the urge to moan in pain. My skin still felt really hot, almost sunburn-like in pain levels. "And I'd appreciate it if you didn't stare at me like that."

It took a few seconds for Jet to realize that I was talking. But he soon snapped out of it. And even then he still didn't talk. Not to mention his eyes darting to any form of escape every three seconds. I rolled my eyes and handed him back the medallion before it made me transform any further.

"Jet," I said, sighing. I knew where this was going, and I sure didn't like it. "We got off on the wrong foot. I know. But," I paused again. I really wasn't sure how to say it. But he wasn't parting with the medallion, and he sure wasn't leaving it with me of all people. So there was no other choice. "I need you to come with me." Yes, I said that. And just try and guess his reaction.

"Okay."

"Look it won't be for long and...WHAT?" That was the most surprising thing of the day, believe me. A few seconds he was blaming my father for the disappearance of his mother, and now he was completely gung-ho with helping me? I swear, at some point during this adventure, I was transported to another planet. People, all of a sudden, were really keen on helping me. "You...want to come along?"

"I know...that I might seem a little crazy," he replied rather timidly. Odd. I hadn't really taken Jet to be skittish. "But while your shirt was...doing that, I heard a-a-a voice...in my head."

He paused. I didn't realize until a few seconds later that he expected me to say something in response. "I believe you." I said with a rather monotoned voice. What? This was normal to me now.

"Yeah...and it was kind of..." He was pausing again. He wasn't sure what to say, and I have to say, the feeling was mutual.

"Deep? Echoing?"

"Um...yeah...how did you-?"

"Lucky guess. Go on."

"Well...I think it was your dad...and I...well he..." Okay, skittish was one thing, but he was taking too long to say what he wanted to say. I was patient...and it hurts to be patient. "He really misses you...and...I still blame him for my mom and all...But just because...just because my family's split up...doesn't mean yours should."

I had to take a moment just to stare at Jet. Despite his sudden changes of character, and there were a lot of them, he was pretty darn wise. Despite his feelings for his mother, he was willing to help me reunite with my father. And despite his previous misgivings about me, he was on board. I didn't know what to say at that point.

Though I wouldn't need to worry about that for much longer. I heard what sounded like an explosion from far away. I turned around, and far away, near the village of the island, I saw a pillar of water that looked all too familiar.

I turned back to Jet. "Jet." He looked at me with shifty eyes. "I assume my father told you what to do with that medallion?"

"Yeah, but what...does it do?"

"Amy's in trouble," I said, ignoring his question. "You're going to hate me later, but I just need you to trust me and use that medallion!"

Jet looked at the medallion, then back at me, then back at the medallion. He was really scared. I could sense it. He had every right to. I was dragging him into the situation, and I know I wasn't too fond of it when I first started out. But it couldn't wait. He had to use the medallion right then, or I might not be able to make it to Amy in time.

But he knew this. He took a deep breath and curled the medallion between his fingers and said the magic words.

"Golden Soul!"

I felt the wind pick up as the bright golden light came to transform him. I wasn't gonna watch what I'd already seen though, so I got my own transformation ready.

"Silver Soul!" Nothing special of this transformation. The light came and it went. When I opened my eyes, I saw Jet's new form. And these 'legendary birds' just keep on surprising me.

Jet's form was at least twice as large as Amy's Articuno form. His wings and neck were bright red, save for a green ring of feathers around his neck. His crimson-iris eyes were ringed with black feathers. His head was topped with a bright golden crest with an equally golden beak. The rest of him was almost peacock-like in appearance. The edges of his wings were lined with a pattern of white, then green feathers. His underside was all white, including the feathers surrounding his legs. His indigo blue talons were practically unnoticeable with his bright yellow tail feathers.

I expected to feel great fear coming from him. I expected him to be upset and angry at me for doing such a thing to him. But quite on the contrary, he was excited. The moment he looked at his plumage, he was amazed and fascinated. He tried to laugh, but all that came out was an amusing 'squwack'.

_You okay there? _I asked, already knowing the answer. I'm psychic, remember?

_Yeah, _he thought back. All in all, he was taking this rather well. _This is amazing. Tell me I'm not dreaming!_

_You're not dreaming, _okay, he was odder than Amy. And I never thought I'd say that. But I barely had time to think that, because right about then, I heard another explosion as another pillar of water could be seen in the distance.

_Jet, can you help me? _I asked. I still wasn't sure if he was ready to fight. I know I still wasn't.

_Yeah. I-I think I can._

_Then fly. _I rose into flight and sped as fast as I could towards the village, the trees zipping below me like wildfire. Jet was coming up behind me, albeit a little more slowly due to having just transformed. As the huts of the village came within visible range, the minds of distressed villagers gathered as far away from the ocean as they could be, I saw them.

Amy was high above Suicune, who was currently standing on the water about a hundred yards away from the village's edge. Amy was freezing every assault of water coming her way. Pillar after pillar of water was twisting and spinning its way towards my friend, but she wasn't backing down, not by a long shot. She froze solid, every attempt to do her in with her ice beam. The icicle pillars fell into the ocean, smashing into hundreds of pieces. No one would be swimming in that ocean for a while. Suicune seemed not to want any more forces, because the sky had gone back to blue. That was a good sign at least.

I moved in to give her a hand. I launched an Aeroblast at Suicune, but no good. She got another jet of water to rise up from below her, blocking my attack. Suicune then looked directly in my eyes, and I looked back in hers. I expected her malefic power to rise up and be sensed by me immediately.

But I didn't.

As I looked into her eyes, I was able to look past the shell of pure evil that had been abundantly clear the first time 'round. I found sorrow...I found desperation. But despite this, I wouldn't stop. I mean, no matter what I sensed, she was still the lunatic that was trying to kill me. And Amy. I wouldn't forgive that.

I descended quickly, hoping to land a blow with my wings. Suicune merely leapt out of the way, creating a pylon of water that shot up and punched me in the gut. I rocketed past, Amy, the water flow going on strong. Man it hurt.

But then it stopped. All I heard was the sound of steam and suddenly, the pressure on my stomach stopped building up. I opened my eyes, seeing steam stream past my feathers, dissolving in the air. I looked all around, wondering what exactly happened.

_Where'd Ho-Oh come from? _I heard Lucan's thoughts fly up beside me. He was on Amy's back, and she was just as amazed.

_Ho-Oh? Is that what Jet is? _I looked at Jet's transformed self, and saw that his beak was steaming. Had he fired off an attack? An attack that had just saved my skin?

_That was cool, _Amy thought to me. _He just fired off a gigantic fireball and it was totally bright! Like he was breathing hope or something!_

_Huh? _She wasn't making any sense. Suicune, however, didn't feel like listening to her. A wave the size of the titanic began to rise from the ocean below. And it was headed right for us. My first thought was to get out of the way. But I remembered the village. That wave was headed right for it, and it wasn't going to be merciful.

_You gotta stop it! _Jet screamed at me. I looked at him as he ascended forward. He expected me to stop that gigantic wave? Yeah right. _Don't look at me like that! Your dad did it! Why not you?_

_But...I don't know... _I was at a loss for words. I couldn't do anything. I couldn't save Jet's village.

I couldn't save his home.

_Come on! Please! That's my home! It's everything I know! I'm begging you! Please! _I looked in Jet's eyes. He was begging-nay, pleading for me to save that village. The way I was looking at it, it was either the wave, or the village. And I wasn't going to let those people down there die. Don't get me wrong, I had no idea what I was going to do. But that hadn't stopped me before. I descended and lighted down in front of the statue of my father and looked into his hollow eyes.

_I don't remember you...father, _I thought. _I don't even know if I miss you, the same way you miss me. But I'll make you proud. I promise. _I closed my eyes, searching myself for the ability my father had all those years ago. In seconds I found it. It was always there, I just didn't notice it. I opened my eyes, the wave reaching the shore. I opened my mouth, and began to sing.

I won't be modest. My voice rang out melodiously. I sang to the beast trying to crush this small town, in a scale that refused to be anything but beautiful. I sang in key, my voice weaving its way into the wave, weaving its way into the ocean itself. A euphoria of lugia song erupted from my beak, and for a moment, I felt that I WAS the ocean. And I calmed myself down. The wave ceased immediately. The remaining mass of the wave, became droplets of water raining down on the small village. It was a little damp afterwards, but that was okay, so long as it wasn't crushed. Suicune...wasn't happy.

"You...stopped...me?" She was speaking through her teeth, almost forcing the words out of her mouth.

_Yes. I did. And I'd do it again. _I don't know why I said that. It was stupid, and it could've gotten me killed. But it didn't.

Suicune tried again. I could tell that she was trying to use her dark powers to create another wave. But she just couldn't do it. Try as she might, Suicune couldn't create even a fold in the sheet that is the ocean.

_Lucan? What's happening? _I asked as my three friends lighted down next to me, the danger having been averted.

"No...NO! NO!" Suicune was freaking out. She was powerless, and she knew it. We took to the sky, hovering just above Suicune once we had reached her.

_If I had to guess, I'd say the ocean will always listen to the Guardian of the Sea as its first priority, _Lucan thought to me in an effort to sound a lot smarter than he had made himself out to be. _That's you Ven, so if you told it to stay calm, then it will. And it won't listen to this dog. _

"SILENCE!" Suicune screamed. She was desperate, and I was ready to put her out of her misery.

_You two ready? Let's finish her. _I got my Aeroblast ready, Amy her Ice Beam, and Jet, his big fire attack. We fired all three at the same time. I won't go into detail about the damage. Two words should sum it up. Direct hit.

Suicune rolled into a heap. Staying atop the water in an odd position. I thought that she would get up and run . But the unexpected is pretty much the story of my life these days. Suicune got up. Looked at me and uttered two words in a voice that was not her own.

"Help me."

I didn't hesitate something inside me sparked, and I had the irresistable urge to do something I would never do in an ordinary mindset. In my mind, I said three words. _Surge of Soul!_

My blob of blue aura formed, and entered Suicune's struggling form. Yes, entered, as in, inside her body. Suddenly a bright blue light formed around Suicune. It was so bright...I couldn't look. When I opened my eyes once again, Suicune was no longer there. In her place was a woman in blue robes. Unconscious and sinking.

I dived into the water, rising underneath the woman, so that the woman rose above the surface, lying atop my back.

_Wh...wh...WHAT? _I sensed Jet speak up. He was flying awkwardly, squwacking around in an irregular pattern.

_What is it? What's wrong? _I asked, almost fearful of the answer.

He didn't answer. Well that's not technically true. He did say one word.

_Mom?_

**Sorry for the delay again. Happy new year everyone! 2011 is going to be great.**

**Once again, I apologize. This chapter is not that good. Or at least, it's not on par with the others. I think I had a better time writing this story when I had no idea where I was going with it. **

**Sorry again, and see you later!**


	7. Captured

**Sorry for the long wait...again...been in the hospital actually...I'm all good now...sorry.**

Chapter 7: Captured

_Your mother? _I asked Jet, who was still freaking out. I hardly knew what this meant. If this was his mother, then did that mean his mother was Suicune? Humans transforming into pokemon was obviously possible, (Me being exhibit A) but if that were the case, she was completely insane, considering she had almost destroyed her entire village. I turned my neck around so that I could look at the woman lying unconscious on my back. She was rather beautiful, with her brown curly hair and blemish-less face. Her navy blue robes were much like Rallis'. Very ceremonial.

_Yes! That's her! _Jet proclaimed with shock and happiness. He wasn't exactly sure which to feel more of. _Don't just float there! Get her on dry land!_

_No need to shout. _I replied as I slowly lifted away from the water, being careful not to drop Jet's mother. _She's all right. _I could tell. She had passed out, but she was all good. It was selfish, but for a moment, I probed her mind, looking for any remnants of the Suicune I had come to loathe. But she was gone. Not a trace of the beast remained in her head. So without further intrusion, I gave my wings a flap and glided softly towards the village, slowing my pace enough so that my passenger wouldn't fall off.

I flew past the monument of my father, and as I did, I heard the sounds of the villagers cheering in the distance. They had gathered together to watch our moment of victory, Rallis at the head of the pack, ready to greet us.

_Dad..._ I heard Jet think as we approached. I decided to leave him be. that thought was most likely intended to be personal. I lighted down in front of a positively beaming Rallis and a crowd of people with the same amazed expressions.

"Ventus. Amy. And you sir, thank you." Rallis said as he bowed. I blinked when I heard him say 'you sir', but quickly realized he meant Jet, whom he did not yet realize was his own son. I saw him blink with confusion as well, and for the first time, he panicked. He wanted back into his human form. Right there and then. It was kind of odd actually. Unlike me, he had been totally on board at first, but hated the idea of being non-human after careful consideration.

I set aside his fears as my mind reached out to his. I held a wingtip towards Jet and thought the only words to think in this situation. _Reverse Power Force. _Jet's thoughts as he transformed back were mixed. But the joy of being himself again overtook everything. And after the light left him, and his friends and neighbors saw who that phoenix really was, I felt another emotion in him that I'd yet to see in him. Pride. As he stood, staring at the gaping faces before him, all he did was shrug. He was trying to put on a modest face, but trust me, inside he was loving the attention. But there was one person in the crowd who outright refused to be shocked.

Rallis.

The leader of the village beamed proudly at his son. The man strode up to the boy, with nothing but admiration in his eyes. And from what I could tell (being telepathic and all) he was a little jealous of his son. But not so much so that it could possibly take away from the pride he felt deep in his heart. Rallis put a hand on his son's shoulder, and for the first time, I saw exactly what Jet's life was all about.

I understood. After Jet's mom had left, his dad was overcome with grief. And so was he for that matter. And I wasn't too great at reading minds yet, but it didn't take a genius to get it. After the loss of his mother, Jet must've distanced himself from his dad, almost to the point where he was completely isolated from anyone. But deep down, I bet he wanted something from his dad. For him to say something to show that they could get past his mother's disappearance together. But because of his many responsabilities, he couldn't say those words. But he could now.

"I'm proud of you son."

And almost right on cue, I felt the woman lying on my back begin to stir. I'd been so caught up in the moment that I'd nearly forgotten her. I felt her thoughts...and they were beautiful.

It might seem weird to see thoughts as beautiful, but you don't understand what being psychic is like. Usually, when I read someone's mind, I get the dark parts first and then move on to what redeeming qualities they have. I don't like it. So far, with most people, my mind had naturally blocked off any thoughts or memories that would be far too gruesome for me. But with the woman on my back, I saw nothing but radiance. Her soul simply sang with such a chorus that seemed to massage my brain in such a relaxing way. This feeling grew with every second as she awoke atop my back.

Jet's mother, at first, felt as though she was waking in her own bed, my feathers being softer than anything else she could've possibly felt. But her feelings quickly changed when she saw just what she was lying on. Her sense of wonder was unmistakable as I turned my head around so that I was face to face with her. And almost instantly, I felt pure, unrivaled amazement shoot through me. But it wasn't mine. It was hers.

I felt her admiration towards me. And since there wasn't a dark element within her, my very soul was struck with such exciting sensations. I smiled as I looked in her perfectly green eyes and it appeared to be infectious since she grinned right back at me. She reached for my face, and I didn't avoid her touch. She began stroking my neck feathers, and I closed my eyes as she did so. Her hand was quite welcoming. For a few moments, I just stood there, basking in her pure thoughts, my mind was practically getting a spa treatment.

And then I snapped out of it, realizing just what I was doing. I sent Rallis a message, specifically one that said: _Look over here, now! _And boy, I thought jaws couldn't drop lower on this adventure. Rallis' did. While his wife sat in awe of me, he was standing in awe of her. For a moment, just one moment, she turned her head over in Rallis' direction and said three words which brought tears to Rallis' eyes.

"Oh. Hello dear." Rallis nearly broke the sound barrier when he began to sob. I've never heard a grown man make that kind of noise before and I never have since. Jet's mother (whose name I never learned) slid off my back, embracing her husband who began bawling on her shoulder. She patted his back in a loving manner, making me realize why he missed her so much. She must've been incredibly patient to put up with something like that for years.

"There, there, why are you crying?" She asked, her voice riddled with genuine ignorance.

"Mom!" Jet proclaimed as he wrapped his arms around his mother, crying just as hard as his dad. I'd say it was getting ridiculous, but considering the context, I didn't. Mostly because I knew I'd do the same.

"What's wrong? Why are you both crying?" She asked, and for a second, my curious self read her mind, and nearly gasped at what I found.

"N-n-n-never leave again!" Jet said sarcastically between sobs.

"Leave? Why would I leave?" She wasn't the only one asking questions. Villagers were crowding around her, the shocked whispering turning into frantic interrogations. I could sense the woman being overwhelmed with all these questions.

_Hey, back off! _Amy said through me, squawking her head off. She looked majestic as an Articuno, but when it came down to it, she was the same tough old Amy. Seeing the giant blue avian telling them to stop crowding the poor woman, the people dispersed. Thus allowing us to get a grasp on the situation.

"Why are you two so happy to see me?" Jet's mother asked with a gentle voice.

"B-b-because you've b-been gone!" Jet nearly screamed, crying more than I've ever seen an infant have.

"Gone? I haven't been gone. I went to bed last night, and I just woke up out here."

"Huh?"

"By the way Jet, your hair is getting pretty long, we need to give you a trim."

"Wh-what?"

"You don't remember?" Rallis was up next, even though his words were practically unintelligable from how big of a tantrum he was throwing.

"Rallis, what have I told you about wearing the same robes two days in a row? those things smell filthy!"

"What?" Both the father and the son said in unison.

"Inside! NOW!" Jet's mom grabbed one ear from Jet and Rallis and began walking towards Rallis' place, dragging the boys along with her.

"OW! OW! OW!" Rallis and Jet yelled as the woman of their family quite literally tugged them by their ears. But after a few steps she turned her head, looking me right in the eyes and simply did one thing. Wink.

I blinked, confused. I won't have to explain why, since a blue light was enveloping Amy as she transformed back to her human form. She walked up to me, making sure she could see my face.

"Hey! Are you blushing?" I turned my head away from her, embarrassed beyond all reason. What? Don't make that face. She was pretty. "Fine you lover-boy. You know why she didn't seem to remember trying to kill us?"

_No, _I thought back. _But I checked her thoughts. She doesn't remember being Suicune. _

"Well that's cool, I guess."

_It's kind of great actually, _she stared at me as the group of people around us gradually began to decide to focus on Jet's mom rather than me. She's the one who'd gone missing after all. _I don't think she'll want to remember trying to kill her village's hero. Or her son. _

"Hm, you're right. Hey, is it just me or are you getting smarter?"

_Hey!_

"Hee hee, sorry. But what was up with that? Why was she so crazy? And what are we going to do with Jet?"

_Dunno. If she doesn't remember when she was transformed and why, then it can't really be helped can it? Besides, the darkness I felt in her is gone and I think whatever did transform her isn't done with us. Odds are, we'll get an explanation soon. _

"Oh, that'll be fun. And what about Jet?"

I would've replied, but at that moment, I heard what sounded like a lawn mower, getting closer and closer. I turned around, seeing where that annoying chopping noise was coming from. And this is what threw a major wrench in the works, the starting point in an experience which makes me sick to my stomach at the thought of repeating it.

A fleet of ten jet black helicopters. All heading our way. The wind picked up, so much so that I had to wrap a wing around Amy so she didn't fly off. As soon as the choppers were above our heads, I tried to see the thoughts of the people inside, maybe I'd find out what they were trying to do. But I had no time.

From the lead helicopter, I saw a small silver object drop. With a loud 'clink' as it hit the ground, I got a closer look at it. It was cylindrical, almost like a spray-paint can. I began to approach, but suddenly the object broke in half on its own, releasing some sort green-coloured gas from within. The gas expanded outwards, consuming Amy, Lucan (who was still on her shoulder), and myself almost instantaneously.

The moment I inhaled that gas, my brain went fuzzy. I struggled to focus, but my head just drew a blank. If there was one thing I could do, it was realize that the gas was doing this. I felt Amy shake her head rapidly, trying to keep herself standing. I understood completely. I felt less and less invigorated the more I breathed. But I couldn't stop breathing. I couldn't hold my breath, since my lungs needed all the air they could get, they just inhaled this blasted cloud on their own. I lifted my wings as high as I could, trying to flap them so that I could blow the smoke away. But the people in these helicopters weren't to be pushed aside so easily. Behind me, I heard another 'clink'. I turned around to see another one of these paint can-like objects opening up behind me. My eyes would've widened at this had they not been drooping.

I didn't understand what was happening. Amy had been officially knocked out by this point. With my little remaining strength, I laid her gently on the ground, Lucan flopping over beside her. I was starting to get the same idea, my head just couldn't keep its own thoughts straight. I looked up at the helicopters. I wasn't sure my message made it, but I sent one thought up to those pilots.

_Why...? _And with that, I was too intoxicated by the fumes to stay in my own mind. But I wasn't knocked out. Instead, my body began to move of its own accord. I'd have been worried had this not happened so many times. I tried to fly, to defend myself, maybe drive these choppers off.

But it was no good. The moment I had risen above the smoke, I felt a stinging pain in my neck. A strange fluid began to shoot through my bloodstream, increasing the sensation of sleepiness upon me. I felt another one of these stinging jolts in my chest. I looked down, seeing a dart embedded right in my belly feathers.

I fell to the earth, my world going black.

Location: ?

Ventus, _I thought to myself. I was a fool to think I'd be able to proceed through that portal alive. My son had saved my life. He had protected me. But that was not the way it was meant to be. When that child was born, I vowed to keep him safe. But now...he was in another world. I could not protect him all those years ago when he was taken, and how could I possibly protect him now? He was beyond my reach. I couldn't know whether he was still alive or not. I could be waiting for the rest of my life, and I would never see him again. But there was nothing I could do._

_"VENTUS!" I screamed to the heavens once again. It was useless and I knew it. I flew further out to sea. I didn't know where I was going. But I was soon to discover my destination. I hadn't realized it while I had been flying, but I had reached Ventus' birthplace. An island with a nest of his mother's creation._

_Luna...my Luna...I miss you so. _

_I soared above the island, a rush of tears meeting my eyelids as I recalled Ventus' birth. He was so small and so curious. And I loved him instantly. And when he fell asleep in my wings for the first time, I knew I was truly a father. But he was gone now. I couldn't open my eyes and expect him to be there._

_But...he was. I opened my eyes and I saw, he was there. On the island. He was in human form, but he was there. I saw the glint of shining silver hair on a young boy's head. I wasted no time. My happiness caused the foreboding clouds in the sky to disperse, the storm ceasing. I landed in the nest of my son, his back to me. _

Ventus, _I said to him with such joy through our telepathy. But then the boy turned around, and I saw that this was not my son. The boy had silver hair yes, but unlike my son's human form, his hair was much longer, a ponytail keeping it under control. I never saw the colour of his eyes as they were disguised by the glint of a pair of glasses. My spirits fell and I immediately tried to envision the boy's intentions in my mind, angered at his intrusion on my son's nest. But to my shock, I could not enter the boy's mind. The blocks on his mind could rival my own. I attempted to breach his thoughts once again, using my full psychic prowess. My powers were shunted against the boy's will. _

Who are you? _I questioned the boy with much more hatred than necessary. _And what are you doing here?

_"I understand why you're upset," the boy replied to the intensity of my words with a calm demeanor and a mature tone. "And I can help."_

What could you possibly know?

_"Please. I could hear your cries of pain all the way from my world. So I came here, so I could help."_

You lie! The portals between the worlds are unstable!

_"Well, then it's a good thing I have phenomenal cosmic powers."_

What?

_"You don't have to trust me. But you do want Ventus back, right?"_

Location: With Amy

"Hey Amy! Amy! Wake up Amy!" Amy awoke to the sound of Jet's voice and his hands shaking her awake. She reacted slowly, a splitting headache chomping its way around inside her skull. It took here a few minutes, but she eventually came around. Her eyes fluttered open to see Lucan's face a little closer to hers than she would've preferred. Startled, she slapped him away.

"Whoops, sorry 'bout that Lucan," she apologized as Lucan got up, rubbing his red cheek where he'd been slapped.

"Hey, um...Amy?" Jet, who had given Amy a little more space than Lucan had, piped up a little quietly. "Where's Ventus?"

"What? He's right-" she started to say, but was quickly proved wrong as she looked around. I was nowhere to be found. The only other people she saw were other people who'd been affected by the smoke, gradually rising to their senses as well. "Wha-? But he was right here! He didn't ditch me, did he?"

She had every right to think that. I hadn't exactly been too keen on her travelling with me, and I hadn't been afraid to show it either. But that's not what I did. Believe me, I wouldn't be so desperate to get away from her that I'd leave her on some uncharted island.

"Hey Jet!" Amy yelled, causing Jet to flinch. "What happened? Where'd the copters go?"

"Copters? I-I didn't see any copters!"

"How could you not? They were everywhere!"

"I wasn't here! Mom brought me home right away! Honest!"

"Then where's Zack? Explain that!"

"Don't get mad at him because you can't keep track of your bird!" Amy heard a voice say from behind. She turned around to see another girl, who looked a little older than her, at least sixteen, maybe seventeen. She was wearing a dark black jumpsuit that revealed a body that made Jet blush to say the least. Her long red hair had bangs which covered one of her two bright yellow eyes. And running up to meet this girl was a young man who looked of the same age as her. And his appearance made Amy say two words which made the boy chuckle.

"Hey, Zack!" Like I said, the guy raised an eyebrow and then started chuckling. He had silver hair which looked just like mine, except his was so long that it had to be tamed with a ponytail. The other difference between him and me was that he wore much different clothes. Specifically a t-shirt with a loose unbuttoned shirt atop it. He wore fingerless gloves and running shoes which were so dirty that it was impossible to mistaken him for someone who didn't travel. Lastly, his glasses had such a glint that they completely hid his eyes from view. But he took them off for a second just to assure Amy that he wasn't who she was thinking of.

"Nope," he said as Amy blinked at his blue eyes. "I was hopin' you knew where he was. Though I think he'd prefer to be called Ventus."

"Who're you?"

"Name's Axel. Axel Igaul. Don't you forget that now. Seems your target isn't here Vanessa."

"Gee, y'think?" The girl said sarcastically. "Looks like the P.C.S. got here first."

"What are you guys talking about?" Amy asked desperately. "If you know where Zack is, you gotta tell me!"

"Why are you talking about the bird like its a person?" Vanessa questioned rather coldly.

"HE is a person! And a better one than you apparently, since you have the sensitivity of a pile of tuna cans!"

"At least I don't make third-grade insults, little girl."

"WHAT? YOU ARE DEAD, LADY!" Amy made a move to strangle the girl in front of her. But with a lightning-fast hand, Axel grabbed a half red, half silver sphere from his belt and tossed it in the air.

"Callin, use Reflect!" The ball snapped open, and an abundance of white energy emerged from it. The energy then formed and became what looked like an owl with brown plumage on its face as well as down its chest. Its feathers were lined with a darker brown colour. It had what looked like horns above its eyes which was really just an odd growing of feathers. The bird's eyes began to glow a blue colour as it hovered above the small group of humans. Amy reached out to give Vanessa a punishment she wouldn't forget. But her hand was knocked aside. She tried again, but she couldn't get to Vanessa. It was almost as though she was being blocked by some invisible wall.

"WHAT IS THIS?" Amy screamed, frustrated.

"Why don't we calm down for a minute?" Axel asked her empathetically. "And maybe you could tell us where Ventus is."

"I can't tell you because I don't know! He was probably taken by the guys in those helicopters!"

"Darn! Looks like the P.C.S. did get 'im!" Axel shook his head and put his glasses back on, his owl friend landing deftly on his shoulder.

"Maybe so," Vanessa began. But then she smiled and began to approach Jet, the invisible wall not seeming to affect her. Amy tried to move in on her again, but another wall popped up right in her path, envoking a beast-like roar from her. Vanessa put a hand on Jet's shoulder and winked at him with her visible eye, making him blush extensively. "But I'm sure you know where they went. Think you could tell me? Who knows? Maybe after I get that birdie for my collection, you and I could go out to dinner?"

Jet's face had never looked so red. He grinned, but only because he was embarrassed. He told me later that he'd never had a girl talk to him like that before. But Lucan soon interrupted this moment. The electric mouse hopped aboard Jet's shoulder, his red cheeks sparking with electric energy. Vanessa gritted her teeth in surprise and pulled back. She looked as though Jet had just slapped her across the face with how shocked she was to see Lucan sparking like that.

"Look at you!" Axel exclaimed the moment he saw Lucan and ran in, shoving Vanessa aside just so he could get a better look at Lucan. Vanessa furrowed her brow. It was obvious to everyone that the trick she'd just try to pull on Jet hadn't worked on Axel. He began to scratch Lucan behind the ears and Lucan's sporadic sparking instantly ceased.

"Chu!" Lucan said with a relaxed enthusiasm. Amy and Jet instantly realized that since I wasn't around, Lucan couldn't express his thoughts. But that soon wouldn't be a problem. "Pika! Pika! Pika-chuuuu!" Lucan said after Axel ceased giving his ears a massage.

"Uh-huh, uh-huh, I hear you," Axel replied, almost as though he was carrying on the conversation.

"Pikachu! Pika!" Lucan went on like this for a while, apparently. Everytime he stopped to take a breath, Axel would nod and say something like: "got it" or "go on".

"What is he doing?" Amy asked Vanessa who shrugged.

"Don't ask me. I just met him a few days ago. When he asked if I wanted to add a one-of-a-kind animal to my collection I, of course, said yes. Who would turn down an offer like that?"

"Who are you anyway, lady?"

"Vanessa De LaFleur," she gave a very lady-like bow, "NOT at your service."

"Y'know, as soon as that wall comes down, I'm kicking your but to next week."

"Just try it. I'll have you know, I'm trained in several types of martial arts."

"As if. You're bluffing."

"A professional thief never bluffs. When I say I'll steal something, I steal it."

"You're a-"

"Got it! Say no more!" Axel suddenly declared rather loudly. He then looked back at Vanessa, a broad smile on his face. "Well, we got lucky! This guy managed to escape the P.C.S.'s knockout gas. And he saw which direction they went."

"You can talk to that thing?" Vanessa exclaimed.

"Yes. I can talk to HIM! And HE knows which direction they went in."

"That's all? A direction? Do you expect me to work with that?"

"Yes. Yes I do."

"Hmph! You know me better than you said."

"That's what I thought. Head east. You might want to bring these two along. Amy and Jet, right? And just because you seem to be scared of him, I'll take Lucan here."

"You know his name?" Amy and Jet said in unison, equally shocked.

"Of course, we just had a conversation! Weren't you listening?" Lucan hopped over to Axel's free shoulder, completely trusting. Axel balanced the weight on his shoulders by taking the red and silver sphere he'd used to release the owl and pressing the button in the center of it. A red beam of energy zapped the owl, converting it to crimson light and bringing it inside the ball again. Axel then placed the ball on his belt again. He then took another ball and threw it into the sky. It opened up and the same white energy burst out, only this time, a dragon was revealed.

This dragon stood twice as tall as Axel on two legs and had sparkling orange scales. Its bulky arms and legs each possessed three claws at the end of them. It was twice as tall as Axel, possessing a horn and two antennae which twitched in the fresh air. The insides of its two glorious wings were emerald green and its lustrous black eyes blinked as it turned back towards Axel, revealing a soft striated underbelly that ran from its neck to the end of the underside of its tail and gave an excited yipping noise from its maw.

"'Kay Kenya. Let's get moving!" The dragon smiled and nodded, turning around and crouching, allowing Axel to get aboard its back. With one flap of its wings the dragon easily climbed above the island. And in the blink of an eye it zoomed away, nearly over the horizon in seconds.

Location: With Axel

Unbeknownst to the other three, Axel carried on his conversation with Lucan, and he wouldn't tell me this part of the story until the last time I would ever see him.

"So, Lucan, how _did _you find Ventus after you gave him his Silver Wing?" Axel asked Lucan, who was in Axel's lap since he was now sitting aboard his light-speed dragon. Lucan hesitated for a second, and Axel seemed to know why. He patted Lucan on the head, saying more to try and produce an answer. "It's okay. I need to know. But I won't tell Ventus if you don't want me to." Lucan nodded, not pausing for a second. "Then go ahead. Kenya won't spill it either."

"Dow dow!" The dragon said, nodding.

"Pika! Pikachu, pika, chu pika!" A light began to form at Lucan's chest. In seconds it formed into a circular object with an almost chain-like object forming from it. The light burst revealing what looked to Axel like a valuable piece of jewellery. But he definitely knew what it was.

The medallion of lightning.

Axel grabbed it and pocketed it. Lucan blinked and almost asked what Axel was going to do with it, but Axel beat him with an explanation. "I understand. You're a good friend to Ventus. Surprising him with that medallion once you had all the others was a pretty cool idea. He's lucky to have you."

"Pika!" Lucan grinned and nodded, pleased with Axel's praise.

"I'm willing to bet that it was the medallion that led you to Ventus, right?" Lucan nodded. "I see. Since it needs a legendary bird to activate, it makes sense that it can track one down, the same as the Silver Wing. And I'm willing to bet that we can use this third medallion to track down the fourth! What do you say Lucan? Shall we go find the final medallion and cut Ventus some time off his journey?"

"Chu!" Lucan said in agreement.

"Then let's speed up Kenya!"

"DOW!" Lucan had to hold on to Axel as the dragon seemed to fly twice as fast, undoing the band Axel had put in his hair, letting the hair of his ponytail fly loose.

"Darn! I'll have to fix that later!"

Location: With Amy, Vanessa and Jet

"And what makes you think we'll go with you?" Amy asked.

"Because I always get what I want." Vanessa replied rather coolly. "And I want that bird for my endangered animal collection. Y'see, being as wealthy as I am, I prefer to have rare and valuable things. And what's more rare than a giant avian no one's seen before?"

"Why you-?"

"Don't worry. I'm not gonna hurt it. I'll just be giving it a pleasurable home."

"You mean you're just gonna _keep _him?"

"The poor thing'll just get hurt if I don't. And the P.C.S. _will _hurt it. You can count on that."

"What is this P.C.S. you keep talking about, anyway?"

"I'll explain when you get in my helicopter. C'mon Jetty!" Vanessa winked at Jet one more time, and the clutz blushed again, and began walking towards her. Amy stopped him, her face twitching in anger until he stopped.

"Uh, Amy," Jet said after he stopped going as red as a tomato. "Maybe we should go with her."

"What?"

"I mean, she might be our only chance to find Ventus...r-right?" He stuttered near the end after seeing Amy's face.

"Hmmmmmmmmmm," Amy obviously didn't like that idea. She was none too happy about working with Vanessa, the two ladies did not get off on the right foot to say the least. Amy would've preferred another method of finding me (and I mean ANY method). But with few options and my fate in question, she had no choice but to say...

"Fine Vanessa." Vanessa smirked at these words, enjoying Amy saying that, even though it was through gritted teeth. "But let's get one thing clear!"

"Hm?" Vanessa asked the unasked question and did Amy ever answer.

"If you try to take Zack...if you want to...keep him. Just now one thing," and even though I never heard Amy say these words, it was intense all the same as she turned back to Vanessa, staring the most daggers she'd ever stared at anyone. "I. WILL. STOP YOU!"

For a moment, no one said anything. Vanessa even looked like she respected Amy for a moment. But that respect was short-lived since a moment later she smirked again.

"All right then. Let's go little girl. You too Jetty." On a side note, Jet began to blush until he was as red as a fire engine. Soon though, he snapped out of it, and did one manly thing toward Vanessa. Talk to her like he was a tough guy.

"Wait! I need to say goodbye to my parents first!" Okay, not the manliest thing to say, but he said it like he was a man. "I can't leave until I do."

Vanessa approached Jet and put a hand under his chin, making his face a little more crimson. "C'mon Jetty. I need to leave now. Don't make me say please." When Jet started to resist this bit of flirting as well, she decided just to give it up and bring in her incentive.

"Boys!" She exclaimed as she let go of Jet's chin and turned her back on him and Amy. Out of nowhere, a pair of muscled men in black suits appeared, grabbing the arms of the confused Jet and Amy. These two never knew where these men came from, and Vanessa never told.

"Hey! What gives? We were on board!" Amy yelled.

"Yeah, but that's no fun, is it?" Vanessa winked once more, sounding like she was just taunting Amy at this point. "Bring 'em to the chopper boys!"

"MOM! DAD!" Jet was screaming out for his parents. It was no good. They weren't coming. And his voice was just getting quieter as the overly-large men basically shoved them along down to the island's beach.

"VANESSA! STOP! HE JUST GOT BACK WITH HIS MOM! GIVE HIM THAT AT LEAST!" Amy yelled at Vanessa in vain. She was still moving forward. Despite every protest, Vanessa seemed to shrug it off, not caring in the slightest.

"Don't worry Amy. He'll be back here safe and sound with his family soon. I'm not that cruel. I just need you two so your big birdy friend won't hurt me when I find it."

"Huh?"

"Axel made me a deal. He'd tell me how to find that bird on a few conditions. One: I couldn't ask who he was, what the creatures he had with him were, or how he got all this information. Two: No one could get hurt. Three: He gets to see the bird before I take it. That's all. So with those in mind, he told me all about you two, where that little birdy had been, and about the P.C.S."

During her explanation, the group had been "escorted" to a bright red helicopter that had landed on the beach with a dark blue "V" plastered on the side of it. Jet and Amy were shoved in through the door Vanessa opened and strapped into the seats by Vanessa's thugs. My two companions were then given earphones with microphones so they could speak to one another over the helicopter's flight. The two took their eyes off the muscled men for one second, just one, and they were gone. Amy said later that they were by far, the most stealthy people she'd ever met. Vanessa climbed into the front seat, a pilot in a black suit much similar to Vanessa's other "employees" getting ready for takeoff.

"The P.C.S. is a society," Vanessa started to say, sensing Amy's next question. "Specifically, the 'Paranormal Cretaures Society'. A group of nerds dedicated to hunting out monsters, aliens and the like. You'd think they'd be pathetic, right? Wrong. According to my, ahem, acquaintance Axel, they've been hiding abnormal creatures from our world for decades. But none so strange as the sample they got in your bird friend. They've been after him ever since he got caught on television. They finally tracked him down through a series of accidentally dropped makeup cases on the ocean's surface. You can thank yourself for that, Ms. Amy." Amy's face suddenly went more red than Jet's ever could. Her dad had packed those for her, he had known her a little less than I'd thought, obviously. In other words, she dropped them on purpose.

"Now, we have the task of hunting down their headquarters. A task not easily done, seeing as how they are a pretty serious organization." She turned back in her seat to see the surprised and nervous faces of her two new assistants. She then winked, more at Jet than Amy. "But don't worry. I'll have you two back in your cozy little homes soon. Just as soon as I pull off the heist of my rarest prize yet. Oh and Jetty," Jet blushed...AGAIN! "I can see you're more nervous than her. Maybe I can ease your tension with a pizza date?"

Location: ?

But enough about them. I could fill a few hours of your life with how many times Vanessa flirted with Jet just to see him go even more red. But whether you like it or not, you need to know what happened to me. As usual, I'd gone through another night of dreaming about my father's suffering. And this time was no different. I woke in another cold sweat, standing and opening my eyes as soon as I woke, darting my tired eyes around my environment as fast as I could. I gasped, openly gasped at what I found.

I was in a meadow. The grass beneath my feet felt quite real. Trees littered the field, each holding an assortment of green to orange colored leaves. A lake, an absolutely beautiful lake lied ahead, in which I sensed the feeble minds of many fish, flocking around. But it wasn't wholesome.

The lake I'd just gone on about was artificial at best. It was a pool, not a lake. Above the lake, it looked normal. But as soon as I flew over, I saw the walls were made of stone, not sand. And that wasn't the only thing that was fake. There was no scent. The air had no taste to it. This wasn't even a real meadow. My drowsy self didn't notice right away, but there was no horizon. This whole scenario, the grass, the trees, the lake, they were all walled in. Blazing white walls burned my retinas, making me cringe as I realized just where I was.

I was trapped.

**There we go. Sorry it's a short one, but I hope it's good enough to spark forth a few reviews. Like I said, been in the hospital, but I'm all good now. Reviews are appreciated and hope to pump out the next chapter within the next week. Already ¼ done. **

**Catch y'all on the flip side.**


	8. Animalistic

Chapter 8: Animalistic

I began to panic. I may be a legendary pokemon on the outside, but I still had the primal instinct of claustrophobia. I was technically an animal but this artificial stuff was not what I'd call a natural environment for me. I needed to get out of there. So much so that I was just about to use Hyper Beam to bust out of there. But...I couldn't open my mouth. It was clamped shut. With a quick flap of my wings, I stood myself in front of the lake and checked my muzzle in the reflection. My eyes widened when I saw that it WAS clamped shut. A metal ring was snapped tightly around my jaw. I tried with all my might to open my mouth but it was no good. It was way too strong for my young Lugian muscles.

I wasn't just panicking now. I was frustratingly rubbing my maw with my wings attempting to knock that thing off. After about fifty tries, I tried to scream, hoping maybe that would give me the motivation to rip this thing off. All that was audible was a muffled wail. I whined like this for so long. I sounded like a stubborn child who was being denied his favourite toy.

But I shut up for long enough to realize how stupid I was being. If I shrunk down to human form, this thing would fall off. Sometimes I amaze even myself with how oblivious I can be sometimes.

_Rever- _I began to think. But then I sensed it. I hadn't realized it before because I was frantic and still a little woozy. But there were...people here. Someone was watching me. Transforming just now might've been a big mistake. I would've given a deep sigh of relief had access to my mouth not been cruelly taken from me. I closed my eyes for a moment so I could use my telepathy. I still wasn't too practiced with it yet, but my mind powers still did their job. Man these walls were thick. My mind didn't appear to do so well with metal, because these boundaries were made of solid steel. I wasn't sure if my Hyper Beam could break through these things, even if I could use it. Whoever these people were, they really wanted me to stick around.

When I finally broke through the walls with ten straight minutes of concentration, I found who was outside. A lot more people than I thought, that's who. Before my powers fizzled, I saw that I wasn't just trapped, I was trapped underground. There were people, all with complicated agendas in their minds which I couldn't reach. I was straining my brain as it was. They walked through the halls surrounding my cage with a tinge of excitement buzzing around their heads. But they weren't the ones watching me. A migraine began chomping its way around inside my skull. I couldn't keep this up. My mental prowess hadn't developed enough yet. But before I stopped, I found him. And my mind reeled back so fast when I did, it felt like I'd punched my own brain.

The man who watching me was the polar opposite of Jet's mother. Whereas she had euphoric thoughts that made me relax, this man made me fear the emotions of humanity. These were downright sadistic thoughts that had me shaking in fear for the first time as a Lugia. I saw what he planned to do with me. And, well let's just say...

…..I had to get out of there. The only problem was, I couldn't get that blasted ring off my jaw. And transforming to human form would be a bad idea. The less these people knew about me, the better. But it was the only way to get this stupid ring off me.

"Now boy, are you ready to begin?" I turned around to where I had sensed the man who had been watching me. His voice was just like his mind. It made me sick. I couldn't see him, but he could obviously see me. I simply glared at the part of the wall where I had sensed him. This wasn't right. I was not just some dirty animal they could throw in their little zoo. "Tut tut, now that's no way to look at your owner. Be a good boy now, nighty-night!"

In an instant I heard something. A sound that you usually get when you use an aerosol can. Except this noise was all around me. Every little air vent, every small opening in the room that I couldn't fit through was spewing this sound. And before I could even fathom what was happening, I felt drowsy. Strength was stolen from my limbs and I blacked out into a disturbing slumber.

_**-Location: Royal Ontario Museum, Canada-**_

There is only one guard in each wing of the Royal Ontario Museum. Their job description requires them to patrol the corridors, but none of them bother doing such a thing. The alarms of the museum were so advanced, a speck of dust would set them off. They often just sat at their desks, reading a magazine until their shifts ended. And Axel would be counting on that natural human laziness to retrieve the final medallion from within.

Axel and Lucan had flown on Kenya, who I learned later to be what's called a 'Dragonite' to Toronto, Canada, as per where the medallion was leading them. Care to venture a guess at how long it took them to get there? Ten hours. Kenya was fast enough to fly across half the continent of North America in ten hours. That was one fast dragon, and I never reached such speeds in my entire life. And Axel informed me that he was slower than most Dragonites. But they had, and their search had hit a roadblock when they realized that they'd have to steal the medallion. But being the eccentric people they were, that moral dilemma wasn't really a dilemma. I came to realize just how alike the two were as they told this story.

It had only taken Axel two days to come up with a foolproof plan to snag the medallion. It surprised Lucan as well, how airtight Axel's idea was as he climbed through the air ducts. The two had decided to land on the roof of the museum, where security wasn't exactly five stars if you know what I mean. There, Axel gave instructions to Lucan as he shoved him through the ventilation shaft. Lucan didn't appreciate it, but he proceeded anyway, sparking up his cheeks every few seconds to light his way through the cramped air ducts.

Every grate along the way offered nothing but disappointment. He was looking for the entrance lobby, but every time he came across a grate, he looked through it only to see a fossil or other priceless treasure in a wing of the museum he wasn't even supposed to be near. He blamed Axel for this, since there were so many routes to take in the ventilation system and he always seemed to take the wrong path. Axel should've told him exactly where to go, I guess. Lucan was just about to throw in the towel and bust down the next grate he saw and go from there, but instead, by dumb chance, found the exact exit he needed, seeing the glass front doors through the cracks in the metal grate.

His bolt-shaped tail began to glow and harden into what I learned to be an Iron Tail attack. With his tail made of metal, he knocked the grate off its hinges, making it hit the floor with a loud 'clatter'. He jumped down, and like a feline, landed on his feet, completely ready to roll. Axel stood on the other side of the glass doors, not showing even a little concern as Lucan unlocked the doors, tackling them with enough strength to get them open. Axel rushed in before they closed, since the alarms would only activate when the doors were opened from the outside, not the inside.

"Nice work," Axel praised Lucan as the electric mouse climbed up his leg, venturing to his shoulder.

"Pika pika!" Lucan replied, loving the praise Axel gave him every two seconds. But he was glad his job was over. Now all he had to do was hang on to Axel and let him do the rest. And Axel did it pretty efficiently, holding the medallion in front of him as he patrolled the museum's corridors. It had begun to glow even brighter the closer Axel got to the medallion. Lucan was at first, worried about the security cameras, but Axel told him not to worry. Lucan never got an answer to _why _he shouldn't be worried, but Axel had proved trustworthy so far, so he dropped it.

"Ah, here we go!" Axel suddenly exclaimed as the yellow medallion began glowing its brightest. Axel had to put it away just so he and Lucan wouldn't be blinded. But that wouldn't be the end of it, because there, standing dead-center in the room in front of them was a podium with a glass casing atop it. And within that casing was a ruby red medallion, glowing bright. They had found the final medallion. The medallion of fire. "Heh, this almost seems too easy. Geez, I hope I didn't just jinx it."

Axel walked across the room, not fearing the chance of another alarm or any other security measure. He was expecting those, and planned to deal with them as they came. Odd plan, I know, but if you'd ever met Axel yourself, you wouldn't doubt that he could do it. But what Axel wasn't expecting, was what happened next.

He was steps away from the medallion case when all of a sudden, two small black spheres dropped from the ceiling. Axel looked at them perplexedly before the two spheres quite literally exploded into clouds of black smoke, making Axel stagger back a bit. And suddenly, the silence was broken, and Axel nearly gasped when he heard the voices that did the breaking.

"Prepare for trouble, Axel-boy!" A woman's voice cried as a shadowed figure leaped from the roof, landing gracefully a few feet ahead of Axel, standing next to the medallion.

"And make it double, we're getting a new toy!" A man's voice, equally as loud and mysterious as the woman who had started their little chant.

"Oh you're kidding me, you followed me here?" Axel exclaimed to the two figures Lucan couldn't see. Axel sighed, almost like he was bored with this little routine.

"To infect this world with devastation!" The woman spoke up again.

"To blight all peoples in every nation!" The man chimed in.

"To denounce the goodness of truth and love!"

"To extend our wrath to the stars above!"

"Cassidy!" The woman declared as the smoke cleared around her.

"And Butch of course!" The man tuned in on cue.

"We're Team Rocket, circling the earth all day and night!"

"Surrender to us now, or you'll surely lose the fight, fight, fight!"

"Pika?" Lucan said, obviously asking who the two oddballs were.

"It's Cassidy and Biff, they're-"

"HEY! MY NAME IS BUTCH! GET IT RIGHT!" The green-haired man said as he brushed off his black uniform with a crimson 'R' plastered across the chest. The woman wore the same weird uniform, and she was currently getting the dust out of her golden blond hair which had attracted a lot in the smoke.

"Whatever Bill. They're two clowns from my world. How they got here, I dunno. But they're no problem, don't worry."

"Not a problem?" Cassidy questioned through gritted teeth. "You've been Doctor Namba's prime target for months now! At least show us the respect we deserve as your arch-nemesies!"

"Yeah, no. If I had an arch-nemesis, it wouldn't be you two." Axel said with complete impatience. He obviously didn't want to deal with this right then. "Now if you'll just get out of the way, I need that medallion."

"Forget it. Ever since we got to this crazy dimension with no pokemon, we've detected quite the power source! And this little trinket is it! We're claiming it in the name of Team Rocket! Houndour, I choose you!" Cassidy tossed one of the red and silver spheres like the one Axel had, this one opening up to reveal a black-furred canine with a red snout and angry eyes that screamed hatred at Axel. Axel got ready with a pal of his own.

"Don't play with fire pokemon, you might get hurt! Dan! Lock and load!" Axel released another pokemon, this time from a ball that had silver and green colours. I never learned what the difference between these spheres were, but I'm getting off-topic. The pokemon he released was called a Quilava. It stood on all fours, with fire, real fire erupting from its head and posterior. Its fur was blue on the upper-half of its body and cream-coloured on the bottom. It had two triangle-shaped ears that were crimson on the inside.

"Houndour, open up with a Take Down attack!" The Houndour began to charge toward the Quilava, almost at a rate that might hurt itself on contact.

"We're not just gonna roll over for you! Dan, Smokescreen!" Dan the Quilava opened his mouth and even more pitch black smoke began to flood into the museum through its own mouth. I would never understand how we pokemon did these things, but I should just stop talking about it or I'll just confuse myself more. The smoke immediately shrouded Dan, Axel and Lucan and sent Butch and Cassidy into a series of coughing fits. The Houndour kept up the charge, blasting straight into the smokescreen. A few seconds later, it charged out the other side, slamming right into the opposite wall.

"Hey! What are you doing here?" A gruff voice said from behind the coughing forms of Butch and Cassidy. They turned and grimaced as they saw two security guards dashing towards them. A pistol in each of their right hands.

"Callin! Lock and load! Then use Hypnosis!" There was a flash of light in the smoke, and the same owl creature (a Noctowl) rose from the smoke, and as soon as the two crooks, the two guards, and the Houndour met its glowing red eyes, they immediately slumped over.

Asleep.

"Brrrr," Callin cooed as he flapped his wings rapidly, blowing the smoke away. Axel gave him the thumbs up and the bird happily glided onto his free shoulder. Axel patted Dan's head before taking out the green sphere and recalling the Quilava.

"I'd love to send you two blasting off again, but I've got bigger fish to fry. I'll deal with you later. As for now," Axel paused in his speech as he lifted the class case off the medallion's podium, in turn, setting off an alarm, "get those peepers ready Callin."

_**-Location: ?-**_

"Wake up boy," my head was in a buzz as I woke up. My sleep had once again been filled with a night of my father's suffering. The voice that woke me may have been smug, but it had just saved me from experiencing some more of my father's pain. It took me a bit to shake the wooziness, but soon I realized that the smug voice had a right to be smug. I was lying on my back, wings spread out across the...wall?

I had gone from dazed and confused to panicked and confused. All my limbs, my wings, my legs, my tail, and even my neck had all been strapped to a cold steel wall. And even worse, I'd been restricted by the same metal that the muzzle on my jaw was made of. I tried desperately to tear myself away from the wall, but to no avail. The metal around my wings were way too strong. I needed to get out of these restraints. I had no desire to be anyone's research subject. But it was no good. I was just choking myself on the binding around my neck with all my struggling. My muscles weren't strong enough yet.

"Ah ah ah, bad boy." Out of nowhere, my body was slammed with an electrical surge that burned my senses and hit my bloodstream like a bullet. I cried out in pain as my heart nearly stopped from the electric surge. My body went limp when the shocks stopped. My breathing was shallow and stopped for minutes at a time. Electricity was way too much for my system. I'm not ashamed to say tears of pain rushed out of my eyes like lemmings off a cliff. "Don't you try and get away from me now. I've been informed that electricity is a prime way to keep you under control, isn't it?"

I didn't even know that. I didn't even understand my own powers yet, but this guy did. But I was hardly even figuring that one out. I was still reeling from the electric shock that nearly stopped my heart from beating. My brain couldn't even use its telepathy I was in so much pain.

And what happened next was quite possibly the most bizarre thing that had ever happened to me. And considering my entire journey thus far, that's saying a lot. A light slowly revealed itself in the form of a pair of sliding doors. I closed my eyes at the bright light. My retinas weren't ready for that. The only light sources in the room were the dim ones on me and the same dim lights illuminating the two people who had entered the room. With the doors closing and the bright light outside closing with them, I wasn't surprised. And then...well, you've already read it once, I'm sure you won't mind it twice.

"Prepare for trouble, this time we got it right!" A blond woman with black uniform-like clothing declared as she entered the room. The man (who was dressed the same as her) with green hair continued their little mantra.

"And make it double, we've stepped into the spotlight!"

"To infect this world with devastation!"

"To blight all peoples-!"

"Must you do that ludicrous motto EVERY TIME YOU ENTER?" The smug voice said once more, no longer sounding very smug.

"Oh well EXCUUUUUSE us!" The woman screamed with a face that reminded me of an angry ox. "We're the ones who've been generous enough to tell you all we know about the Lugia your boys captured. You should be a little more grateful."

"All you've told me is its name and how to restrain it. I'm a scientist. I need a lot more than that if you want me to hand it over to you when I'm done with it."

"Oh no need to worry about that. We'll tell you everything." At this point, I had recovered my senses. But I listened to this conversation, pretending to still be trying to recuperate myself. I didn't want to let these people know anything they didn't need to. Like the fact that I could talk. It'd be pretty bad if this scientist with the smug voice figured out that I had telepathy. "For example, did you know that Lugia have the power of telepathy?"

My eyes widened. How did they know that? It was impossible. No human of this world could possibly know about my race. Unless...

"Fascinating. Normally, I'd say you were crazy. But then again, normally I wouldn't think there could be anything like this Lugia. Can it understand us right now?"

"No," the other man with the green hair suddenly spoke up. And he gave me my one glimmer of hope. "From the looks of it, this one's a little too young to use its telepathy just yet. It should be easy to control. And I've checked the moves it knows. It hasn't learned any psychic attacks yet, so it won't be able to do anything to escape. Just keep it sedated every once in a while, and keep that ring around its mouth and it's helpless."

I almost smiled. Almost. These people sure knew a lot about me, but they had underestimated me. It was no wonder that these two were from another world. Their knowledge was astounding to me. And I just prayed the smug voice wouldn't get curious and try to disect me. And as for the other two, I didn't know who they were, but they'd dealt my chances a steady blow. If I was gonna escape, I'd need to avoid this pair. They knew a lot, but they didn't know about my human side. My human brain. My human soul.

And that humanity was my last hope.

But that was slowly disappearing. After that little moment of consciousness, the three left the room, leaving me subject to that annoying aerosol sound that slipped me back into depressing sleep. And that wasn't the end of all this. I don't know how long I stayed in that place. Days, weeks, months? Who knows. Even today, I wake up from nightmares of waking up in that lab. That first day was just the starting point of things to come. The mere thought of that place puts me in a state of fear that I cannot suppress.

I never came up with an escape plan. Mostly because every time I was conscious, it was only about five minutes before they put me under again. Sometimes I was in the artificial environment, sometimes I woke up in the same dark room again, sometimes my brain got working in a gigantic glass cylinder, floating in a strange green liquid that I couldn't identify. I could barely form a thought before they made me breathe that tranquilizer gas. And each time, I tried to escape. And each time, I was hit with a voltage that short-circuited my brain. They were making me suffer. During those few fleeting moments of consciousness, I had to inspect my body each time. The lake in my artificial 'home' served as an outlet for this. I cried out nearly every time I saw my reflection. What would my father think of me now? A guardian of the world reduced to such a state. My mask, my back plates and my tail spikes had lost their luster. They were nearly black now with electrical bruises and burns. I found myself getting angry at them. The humans who did this to me. Every day, I'd find a new way to make me hate them.

And as for how I got fed, I'd rather not repeat the experience. More and more, I was beginning to give in to my animal instincts. On the first day I was in there, I awoke groggily, smelling the most repugnant, repelling stench ever. I sat up on the artificial grass to find beside me a plate of the most rotten, unsanitary fish I'd ever laid eyes on. Was I supposed to _eat _that? The ring around my mouth had been removed, but I hardly had the energy to use an Aeroblast, or even a Hyper Beam. And I knew the moment I ate up these fish for nutrition, they'd just knock me out again and reattach my muzzle's muzzle. These people were getting me on my last nerve. But I had been so drugged by the knockout gas that I barely had the strength to even sit up, let alone venture into that fake lake and catch some food of my own. I moved my mouth close to the repulsive 'meal' before me, making sure not to breathe in so I wouldn't pull myself back from the smell. I snapped the first fish on the pile into my mouth. It was the worst thing I'd ever tasted. That's not an exaggeration, it was. I had a keen taste for fish, and these not only smelled rotten, they were rotten. The bones melted like putty in my mouth. I more drank these fish than I did eat them. And I was right. The moment I gulped that last scaled piece of rubbish down my long throat, I heard that wretched godawful sound that plagues me even to this day. The gas came, I slept, and the ring was slipped back on around my jaw. And they gave me these grotesque fish every single solitary day. Soon I lost all sense of human etiquette and my face hit those fish like a missile, slurping them down before the taste even hit my tongue. I'd turned into a dog.

And every day, every blasted day, I'd find my mind automatically reach out into the minds of people. People with such horrific, disgusting things in their heads. They saw me as a thing. Every day I'd be forced to probe the minds of scientists who wanted nothing more than to tear me open and see what they found inside. Every day, I'd see into the minds of my so-called keepers. All they could think about was their own pathetic lives. Even when I had received too much electricity from them and was about to die (which was nearly every time) they only gave me minimal medical attention. They didn't care. Not a soul in that lab cared if I died or not. In fact, when my heart was about to hit critical, I swear I felt someone think a small, simple little thought. So small, and so devastating.

_I wonder what Lugia meat tastes like._

And that's all during the day. The nights were just as, if not more, unbearable than the days. I couldn't sleep. Because each time they knocked me out, I'd see what my father was doing. And it was always the same thing. Suffering. When my eyes shut, my father's will took over and his emotions crushed my heart. Every time I fell asleep, I felt like I was going to die. And my father was feeling that all the time. But I couldn't do anything about it. During the nights, I feared feeling my father's feelings. I laid awake each night, too deprived of energy for lack of proper nutrition. It took all I had just not to let myself blink too often. Soon, I lost track of how many nights I was in this joint. I had a feeling they were taking a lot of blood samples from me, because I felt more drained every time I looked up and saw the lights go out. My injuries healed so slowly now. I felt that if I could just drag myself into the lake at night, I could avoid the gas during the day. But I just never had the strength. It got colder. When the stars began to appear, my body heat began to disappear. I shivered. My feathers weren't keeping me warm like they used to. Even under the sea I hadn't felt so cold. And I soon found the cause. I'd been molting. Sometimes, I'd roll my head over and see a pile of my own feathers strewn all around me. I was becoming ill. And it was more noticeable every night. My feathers weren't just falling out, they were losing their shine. Near the end of it, they were nearly pitch black because of the artificial dirt I'd been lying on.

And these people, these aggravating people didn't do a thing about it. All they did was gawk at me and take down notes. I wasn't just angry with them. I loathed them. All of them. I didn't know it, but the hatred I was feeling was an unnatural. Because even though I wasn't going back and forth between Lugian and human forms, my final transformation was beginning to accelerate. And my race was capable of great anger. I had learned that personally during the first visit in my father's mind. The boiling pit of hatred within me grew every night. Soon, even my eyes began to lose their human-esque quality. I didn't know, but my irises started to lose their roundness, becoming more oval-shaped, more beast-like. Soon, all I could think about was what these humans had done to me...and how glad I was not to be one. If I'd stayed human, I might have ended up just as screwed up as the pathetic primates keeping me captive. And soon, I wasn't just angry at them, I began to feel anger at more people. The children I'd grown up with. They'd called me 'freak' so many times that I didn't even want to try counting. They'd bullied me and taunted me and hurt me so many times. And those doctors...those accursed doctors who refused, absolutely refused to save my mother.

Mother...my eyes poured frustrated tears at the thought of her. I missed her so much. I missed the way she'd sing to me when I was little. I missed surprising her on mother's day with breakfast in bed. The pancakes I made her were burnt all over and she knew it. But she ate them anyway. I missed the way she'd hug me and reprimand me for not brushing my hair when I got home from school. I missed her helping me with my homework. I missed her voice. I missed her telling off and protecting me from my stepdad. But most of all, I missed her eyes. Her beautiful red eyes that would always look at me with pride and love. A wad built up in my throat as I sat in the darkness. I wailed. I sang my sad Lugian song. If I were outside, it would have made the oceans quake in torment. Just like me.

But I wasn't outside. I was inside. With him. That man. The smug-sounding man who made this hatred of humanity spawn. Every day...every freaking day that man would torment me. Saying things like: "Nighty-night boy", "Aw, does baby wugia want the shocks to stop?", and most aggravatingly, "If you were just a good boy, then you wouldn't have to feel a few hundred volts in your system". This was aggravating because most of the time, I was being a 'good boy' as he so put it. I had lost the energy to fight back a long time ago, but still, he shocked me for fun. These restraints were killing me, and that bastard was enjoying it. In his mind, I could hear him laughing away. He literally felt good when I felt pain. I came to refer to him as The Man. Simply because I didn't care to learn his name. He made me suffer constantly. Sometimes, he would hit me with so much electricity, my heart would stop. And when he restarted it, he would say that I owed him for saving my life. And instead of simply letting it slide, I screamed like a woolly beast. And since that too was received as a form of resistance, I was given another blast of electricity. I was beginning to think less. The Man kept me drugged, drugs which numbed parts of my nervous system, forcing my body to rely on instinct. Such a thing kept me acting like a beast, lashing out at my captors. I was hardly a Lugia anymore. I was just some wild animal who could no longer understand basic skills. I wasn't even thinking of trying to escape from this place anymore. now it was just survival. Months. I was in there for months. Months of my human half disappearing. Months of my primitive instincts taking over my mind. Months of forgetting what I was even doing before all this happened. And months of The Man making me despise him more and more. For the first time, I realized what people meant when they said 'don't underestimate a cornered beast'. Because I was a cornered beast. And I wanted The Man to die. I wanted to crush him between my "itty-bitty incisors" as The Man so put it. I wanted to feel his skull snap beneath my feet. I wanted to drive my tail spikes through his heart. I finally realized what hatred I was capable of. I wanted to see my Aeroblast incinerate his bones. I wanted to feel his blood splatter over me when he died.

I didn't even know that I was losing my mind. Pretty soon, my humanity was pretty much dead. I couldn't even remember my own name. The human one or my real one. I had lost all sense of reason. All sense of who I was. That may seem dramatic but it was true. All that filled my brain now was thoughts of killing The Man. He was going to die. I didn't even know why anymore. He was just going to die.

I lied awake one night. The beast had completely taken over. I was driven with only a need to survive, and of course, to destroy The Man. I stared up at the roof of my reinforced cage, looking about the thousandth time for a way out. If I still had any intelligence left in me, I'd have stopped, but I wasn't exactly Sherlock Holmes right about then. My eyes were so tired, but the drugging and the paranoia kept me awake. My thoughts were all over the place. To this day I don't quite remember what I was thinking about that night. The thoughts of a deranged animal are best left unknown I guess. In an instant, my anger took over again, and in a burst of adrenaline, I flapped my wings in a strong upstroke, trying to scream in frustration with no luck because of my mouth's collar. I soared around the room, charging into the walls. I wanted out. I bashed my head again and again against the reinforced walls. This just proves how much I lost it. These walls could withstand an earthquake, and I was trying to headbutt them down. I tried to cry out more and more as I kept charging the walls. I made a last ditch effort at the wall touching the lake, and officially lost my adrenaline. My drugged body gave up and collapsed into the lake, sinking to the bottom faster than any boulder ever could. I lost consciousness in seconds, expecting to drop back into my father's thoughts, into a world I couldn't understand at the time.

In my dreams I was alone, isolated. No one was coming to help me as I floated in the darkness. I was completely suffocating from the lack of life around me. All alone. Again.

_Ventus? _Or maybe not. There might've been someone there. Unfortunately, I wasn't exactly me at the time. I was still acting primal. And as such, I opened my eyes and began to growl at the approaching figure. I could see its outline, but what drew my eyes were the two glowing blue lights that...drew me in. I kept growling, my mind assuming this presence was a new threat that I couldn't let near. I stared daggers at the two blue indentations. It was me or him, that's all I could think.

_Ventus...be calm. You have nothing to fear from me. _I didn't believe him. I tried to back up a little, but even in my dreams my body was lacking energy. So, with no other options, I proceeded to growl louder and louder, even roaring as the figure came ever closer. I acted tough, but I couldn't do anything as the looming figure, that was at least twice my size approached. The two blue lights seemed to stare right through me as I felt...something wrap around my back. I closed my eyes, thinking I had angered the creature and was about to pay for it.

Then the figure did something I certainly didn't expect. It gently pulled me close, bringing me right next to its chest so that I could hear its beating heart. A familiar touch was given to my forehead. Then I felt a sudden jolt in my brain. I didn't recognize it at the time, but it was the same jolt that had sent me off to dreamland all those times before. Only this time, it had a different function.

All of a sudden, I was...myself. The state my drugged mind had been all but disappeared. MY instincts cleared away, and soon, I was thinking again. I remembered my name. Zentus. No, wait, Ventus. Yeah, that was much better. My brain seemed to unfreeze as I began to remember everything. I was recalling my quest. My journey to find the medallions with Amy, Lucan and Jet. So I could get back to...um...

_Remember now, _With my dream eyes half-closed, I looked up to see...

_F-F-Father? _I asked as I stared at my father's face. He smiled as I remembered him. He then put a wingtip over my eyes. And at that point, I was far too fatigued to keep them open. I relaxed as my father pulled me into an embrace.

_Rest now. I have seen what you've been through. Relax, it is necessary. _And I did. I don't know for how long I rested. It had been so long since I'd had genuine sleep. For months now, I'd woken up in cold sweat, having spent the entire night feeling my father's pain. But that was disappearing. Somehow, he'd contacted me. And, he wasn't angry or suffering anymore. I was happy knowing he was no longer in pain right then.

_Father? _I started to say to him telepathically when I felt I had enough strength. I still didn't bother opening my eyes since I knew I was too tired to keep my lids apart from each other anyway.

_Shh, rest. _

_But...father...I...I-_

_Just rest. If it is important, then show me. Do not tell me. _At first I didn't understand what he meant. But I got the idea quick. He was much better with his telepathy. So much so that he could probably read my mind. If that was the case, all I had to do was think of what I needed him to know, and he'd see it. So with that, I simply showed him the situation I was in. How trapped I was. How ignorant to the situation I was. I showed him the two people who had known so much about me. I showed him more than I meant to. I showed him the torture The Man had put me through. I showed him the reflection I'd seen in the lake, how life in this place was affecting me. I meant to stop there, but for some reason, my father went deeper. And I couldn't stop him. Suddenly, I felt anger building up again, but it wasn't mine. This time, it was my father's anger I felt as he saw all the events that transpired since my capture. He saw every waking moment. As well as every sleeping moment. I tried with all my remaining strength to keep him out of there, but he pushed forward. He saw what I saw when I fell asleep. His own memories of lashing out wildly at the world around him. I gulped. I hadn't wanted him to see that. I didn't want him to know that I saw what he saw when I fell asleep. But even worse, he dug deeper. And I couldn't do anything to stop him.

He saw it. How I didn't miss him. I felt him grimace at that. I didn't know what to do. But he did. He moved on. In fact, he went far beyond my capture. He went even further back in my memories. I wasn't able to stop him from seeing my adventure thus far. How Jet blamed him for his mother's disappearance. How I'd been horrorstruck with my transformation at first. And how I was still unsure about being a Lugia. Soon, he was about to go beyond the start of my adventure. His anger was already rising to a dangerous level. I knew because I'd felt that anger. Both mine and his. And even though it felt kind of good to have someone be furious on my behalf, I knew it wasn't right. And if he saw my stepdad, I knew it'd send him over the edge.

_F-Father! _I said, almost afraid at this point. _Please...don't go further! _The moment I said that, the anger dissapated. I immediately felt him honor my request and stop probing my mind. For a moment, silence gripped the both of us. I was too ashamed to say anything, and as for my father, I didn't know what he was thinking. For a moment, I thought he'd be angry with me. I thought he was going to scream at me, and say how much he was disappointed in me. How I had not lived up to my true Lugian strength yet. How I was wasting my time in the lab when I should've broken out and found the medallions by this point. I grimaced as my mind braced itself for all these things.

My father stroked my neck reassuringly and sent me a soothing feeling through telepathy. I instantly calmed. I didn't understand though. I thought I'd-

_You could never disappoint me Ventus. _Whoa, beat me to my own train of thought. Impressive. _I am the one who failed you, my son. _

_I...I don't...understand._

_When you were taken from me, I failed to protect you. And now...you have suffered much in your human life. And even now, when you've taken back your true form, you have been subject to the torments of the world you've been sent to. And I am unable to help you, my own son. _

I finally felt I had enough strength to open my eyes. So I did, and saw for the first time, what a true father was. He was crying. Tear's cascaded down my father's face as he looked off into the distance of the black abyss.

_When your mother died, I felt it. There was still a small link between worlds. A shadow of the portals that once were. And nearly every day, I watched your mother raise you, my boy. I was able to see between the worlds. But, unable to go, I simply watched, and waited. I waited for the day, when the portals opened once again. But before that could happen, your mother left us. _

_I...I..._

_It was not right of me to assume you would accept your true form when it came to you, my son. For years now, I have been without my soul, without my family. Usually, to me, thirteen years would pass in the blink of an eye. But without you Ventus, or your mother, it was an eternity. You have felt my pain, Ventus. A son should not bear the pain of his father. And you bear this pain, though you do not even remember me._

_I'm...I'm sorry. _I replied, knowing he was talking about the fact that I didn't see him as my own flesh and blood. Instead of being disappointed, he chuckled. And hearing a laugh in your head is different from hearing it in your ears. Hearing a hearty laugh fills you with glee as well. But soon after, he released me. Unfortunately, I still couldn't control my body. Not enough energy. And without it, I just floated. Drifting away. But my father steadied me with psychic power, allowing me to face him again.

_It is only natural. But now, I would like you to remember something more, Ventus._

_Wh-what do you mean? _I asked, blinking as I looked back in his eyes. He chuckled some more, putting me in a good humor as well.

_Your birth. _

My mind reeled. The dark void went white around me and I closed my eyes. Suddenly, it felt as though the dimension was closing in on me, suddenly, I was curling into a ball because the lack of space was getting ridiculous. Then I realized that I wasn't just getting restrained, I was going back. In fact, the dimension around me hadn't changed it all. I was just remembering something forgotten. Something I don't think anyone else could ever hope of remembering. My very own birth. Odd Thursday, huh?

It was very cold. Every time I touched a part of me, I felt frigidness all over. And yet, it was so warm on the outside. It was like that feeling you get when you come in from a snow storm, and sit next to the fire with a blanket wrapped around you. There was blackness all around, and I was curled up in a ball. Odd. This space had been so roomy earlier, but it appeared to have shrunk. I tried to stretch myself out, maybe make the space a bit bigger.

_CRACK!_

I heard something. It was so loud, so unfamiliar. I was scared of it, so I didn't pursue further. But after a while, I knew the noise wasn't coming back. I tried again, stretching out myself more. I couldn't live in such tiny space.

_CRACK!_

There it was again. Only this time, when I pulled back, the noise didn't stop. It spread, coming from all around.

_CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!_

And suddenly, my space got bigger. A lot bigger. The cracking stopped as the boundaries of my space completely shattered. I completely flopped onto the ground, my body completely straightening out for the first time. And something was hitting my eyelids. Something...warm. So many things were happening for the first time. I was...warming up for the first time. Now my body didn't just feel that fuzziness that warmth created, it _had _that warm fuzziness. My eyelids opened for the first time. At first, it was too bright to see anything. But I certainly felt something. Something, no two things were wrapping themselves around me. They were so soft, so comfortable. Not that I understood what that was. I just knew I wanted more of it. Whatever softness was to my infant brain. And I got it. I was placed against some more softness. This one was nice and cushy. I cuddled up to it, wanting to feel as much of the softness as I could. This softness had its own sound to come with it. It was a soothing sound. A sound I wanted ever more of.

_Ba-dump. Ba-dump. Ba-dump. _

I found it so hard to find the word for that. It was an odd experience, knowing everything and knowing nothing at the same time. In my memory I was a newborn, but in reality, I was...did I even know? Aw who cared? All I needed was the softness and the sound that came with it. But those joys were nothing compared to what happened when I opened my eyes. My eyes were ready to see. And what I saw, was nothing short of amazingly incredible.

I saw her. For the first time. She had me cradled in her wings, and her beaming face was making me...love her. She was the first thing I ever saw, and she was the most beautiful thing I'd ever see. She was my world, my love, my life. I wanted-no, I _needed _her to pay attention. More attention to me. I nuzzled her softness. I did everything I could to get as close as I could to her. And considering I was about the size of a coffee can, that proved quite simple.

"Brrrr," I cooed happily as she started to nuzzle me, showing me how much she loved me back. I sat in her wings, my need to be loved quite satisfied. I could sit forever, cradled in her softness. I felt so warm, so happy. I had completely forgotten that hard shell-thingy I'd been inside. (Even my vocabulary was getting worse, and I didn't care) It had been so cramped, and she was so happy to see me. I had so much more space in her softness. My tail was whipping around excitedly like it was in a windstorm. I was so happy to be there, with her.

But then she stopped nuzzling me. I looked back at her with a fading smile. Had I done something wrong? Did she not care about me anymore? I wanted her to care. My eyes welled up in tears for the first time. She couldn't leave me. She couldn't. I wanted her. I wanted her now. But she merely passed me over, right into another softness. I looked at the new face, and nearly cried some more.

This face looked like hers, but it wasn't. There was something scary about this one. I cried and planted my face into the nearest softness. But then I heard it. This softness too, had the same sound as the last one.

_Ba-dump. Ba-dump. Ba-dump._

It was the same sound. A little louder and not as soothing, but it was the same sound. I looked up at the scary face again, to see that maybe it wasn't so scary. The person here had the same sound as her in his softness. Maybe, he wasn't so bad after all. He grinned at me, and suddenly, I felt a softness touch my belly. I looked and saw the not-so-scary person start to tickle me. It was good fun, and I started to giggle uncontrollably. Even when he stopped tickling, I laughed. It was just too funny. He wasn't scary at all. I relaxed in the softness, realizing that I should love this not-so-scary person too. After all, he seemed to like me just as much as the beautiful person did.

I turned my head to see if I could find the person I loved from the start. I didn't have to look far. She was looking at me just as much as I wanted to look at her. Both of them, the beautiful one and the not-so-scary one looked at me with something that made me feel good. Something magical, something...

"Wa-aaaa," my mouth suddenly made a noise. Little did I know that I had yawned for the first time. My eyes were getting droopy, and I couldn't focus on their smiling faces anymore. Oh well, I'd figure out what the feeling they were giving me was later. But I didn't want to close my eyes. I wanted them to smile at me forever. But the beautiful one would make me sleep. By making another noise. But this wasn't a bad noise. It was like the 'ba-dump' noise because it was so soothing. But the difference was, she was making this one with her mouth. My infant mind couldn't realize it, but she was singing. I grinned back at the two as my eyes shut and I relaxed in the not-so-scary one's softness, falling blissfully under the beautiful one's song spell.

….And then I was back. I opened my eyes again to find myself back in my dreamstate, still looking into my father's eyes.

_Father...that was...?_

_Yes. You were quite frightened of me when you were born. Even now it seems, I have yet to prove to you that I am not the monster you thought me to be. _

_I...what?_

_You have...seen what I've done in your sleep, yes?_

_Well, yes...but-! _I wasn't quite focusing on my speech right now. that last awakened memory had begun to spur a whole bunch of others that I seemed to have forgotten. My father had been there more times than one would've thought. I'd thought that he didn't even know me. But he did. He'd been watching over me, ever since I'd been taken to this world.

When I'd struggled in school, he was the little voice in the back of my mind telling me it'd be okay. When my stepdad came into my life, there was something telling me not to back down to him. Something told me it would be alright, just so long as I didn't give up on life just yet. And when mom died, I forgot the dream I had. The dream of flying away on the wings of a silver bird. A bird that wrapped its wings around me when I cried, and told me I wasn't alone. All this, my father was, as well as many more examples that would take hours to mention.

_Ventus. I wish things could have worked out better for you. You are my flesh and blood, and yet I find myself unable to say what I need to. This is not our true reunion, son._

_"What? But you're here! We're both here, now!" _Wait. I SAID that. That wasn't just telepathy, that was my Lugian mouth saying something...and I understood it. My father seemed quite surprised with this as well Though he showed more restraint and didn't cover his mouth with his wing like I did.

_"Do not be frightened. Your mind is simply developing to the transformation. You are growing up fast Ventus. Perhaps too fast."_

_"Father! Wait!"_

_"When you awaken Ventus, do not leave the safety of the water. Do not be frightened, for when you awaken, your psychic potential will have increased. Your mind's transformation will begin. Your telepathy shall be stronger. In order for you to escape the humans who have captured you, I have given you another ability. Telekinesis. You shall be able to move objects with your mind. but do not use it freely. You are not quite strong enough for such a power yet. But...you must."_

_"But father...I...I can't. I'm not strong like you."_

_"Ventus. You are strong. Never forget that. You are my son, and I believe in you."_

_"But..."_

_"Ventus, if I could do this in your place, I would. I have given you all I can. I wish I could go there myself. I wish I could protect you myself. And most of all, I wish I could punish those who would make my child suffer!" _Yikes, he sounded pretty serious. He...he really would do that. I could tell just from looking at him. I swallowed hard at the intensity in his eyes. _"But I cannot. I have only one more way to aide you, and that is through...him."_

_"Wait! Father! Who are you talking-"_

"-about?" I tried to yell with the metal clamp around my jaw as I woke up at the bottom of the artificial lake, my eyes burning as I opened them to see the burning lights of my fake and soon to be former habitat. A fish swam near my foot. My stomach growled, and I realized just how hungry sleeping made me. I gave it a swift end with my foot, then flicked it with my tail, snapping the amber fish right near my muzzle.

I focused on the metal ring around my snout. This thing was coming off. I imagined it slipping right off my jaw. When I felt no movement, I put a little emotion into it. I thought of what the ring represented. It represented my suffering, it was the symbol of The Man. And it was the last thing standing between me and freedom. And then it just...happened. It snapped right off and flew so fast to the surface you could've sworn it was fired out of a cannon.

But as for me, I barely scarfed down my catch before my brain shut down again. Telekinesis took more out of me than I thought it would. I was completely drained as my head hit the cement bottom of the lake again.

"This may take getting used to," I said to myself in my now understood Lugian voice.

**Done! Done! Done! Thanks for reading everybody, I know these last few chapters have been jumpy and short, but I hope to improve sometime soon. **

**Catch y'all on the flip side!**


	9. Jailbreak

Chapter 9: Jailbreak

The ball was finally in my court. When the scientists arrived the next day, they were shocked to find me in their poor excuse for a lake, and with the ring off my mouth. With my enhanced powers, I was able to read The Man's thoughts easily through the walls. And it was ever so satisfying to feel his anger. Almost immediately, they sent two men with scuba suits in, with what appeared to be dart guns. They leaped into the water soon after entry, trying to give me the anesthetic another way. Directly. But I would have none of it. The moment they intruded on my safe haven, I projected something into their minds. Specifically, I showed them exactly what they had put me through. I sent them every memory of my time here, including the moments where I went mad. In seconds, they experienced what I had suffered through for months. Those two quit their jobs the very same day.

I couldn't escape right away. I was still pretty sick, and my feathers were still falling out at intervals. But I was getting better. Every day I ate the fresh, non-drugged fish, gradually gaining back my vitality. Eventually, The Man understood that if I ran out of fish, he'd be out of a test subject. He let loose more fish over time, providing me with all the food I needed. But my health wasn't the only reason I had to stick around for a while.

These people were ignorant, but they weren't stupid. They kept the room full of knockout gas at all times. I'd be an idiot to go above water. In fact, I may have been in a worse position than when I started out. My dad instructed me not to leave the water's safety, and I certainly wouldn't if this kept up. I just had to be patient. But my patience was wearing thin. I'd been cooped up in that place for far too long. I needed out.

The worst of it was, my dad didn't contact me again. My nights had gone back to the same routine of witnessing my father's actions. He told me that he had one more way of helping me, but I never got confirmation as to what that method was. So with no other options, all I could do was sit and marinate in my pool. I was still a little drained, so I had to gradually get back my strength. At least I'd have something to do while I was waiting for an opportunity to escape. And working on my psychic abilities wasn't a bad plan either.

Every day I practiced. At first, I was just focusing on telekinesis. It would be an understatement to say I was inexperienced with it. At first, my mind could only do the minimal amount. My first use of it was creating a small sphere of water and levitating it over the lake. At night of course. But after a few seconds my powers fizzled and I lost control, making the sphere implode in on itself. And I was out of breath afterwards, with a major headache racking my brain. So during these instances, I worked on telepathy. In this aspect, I was much improved. I was breaking through those thick walls rather easily, and I was quite pleased with what I saw.

_Those idiots in charge can't even draw that stupid animal out? _Was just one of the thoughts coursing through the minds of my captors. It seemed there was descension in the ranks. The Man appeared to have lost his reputation. His subbordinates certainly didn't think he was cut out to be my torture master anymore. And The Man was far too busy yelling his brains out to notice. He was breaking out in a temper tantrum that could rival a five-year-old at the mall any day. And the best part? He did this daily. Ah, satisfaction. Is there anything sweeter? Well, freedom would be nice too. But since I was stuck, all I could do was practice my psychic powers. I did this so much over the next few days that I began to call this telepathy practice 'mind watching'. Sort of like bird watching in a way, except unlike birds, these people were stupid. Not a one of them had anything intelligent in their heads. Over half of these nerds were still living with their mothers. Even The Man led more of a pathetic life than I thought he did. I'd go into details, but I don't want to traumatize young minds.

But all in all, not too many geniuses here. Well except for one that is. As I was mind watching, I began to notice a repeat. A repeat mind that appeared nearly every day. This mind would walk into the building, walk around the border of my cage for hours, take a look at me in the security cameras, then leave. This person had a little more mental prowess than the others. As in, I wasn't able to fully penetrate her mind. Yes, I knew she was a girl, that much was clear. You might think names are easy when reading someone's mind. They're not. If someone doesn't want to say their name, they keep it secret. In fact, I could find a person's blood type before I got their name. But this person kept up this same pattern. What's more, she didn't seem to serve a purpose in this facility. She just came, and then she left. Whoever she was, one thing was for certain. She wasn't part of the system. On about the tenth day of her presence, I considered confronting her about it. Y'know, through the mind and all. But she left before I could even bother. I yawned afterwards. Not odd, since using my mind powers so much was beginning to take its toll. I waited until everyone had left before I slipped back into sleep. You never know, they could pull a fast one on me. Once that condition had been met, I shut my eyelids and curled up comfortably with my head over my tail, my wings at my sides. I got myself mentally prepared for another night of heartbreaking despair.

My dreams were incredibly lucid that night. And it was incredible. I stood atop icy terrain, looking upon a serene river that dazzled under the setting full moon. The mere sight of this chillingly beautiful place warmed my heart. And I wasn't alone either.

"Lovely, isn't it?" I said to the Articuno in front of me who I'd draped my wings around. The radiant avian turned her head and nodded at me. She rested her head on my chest, and I stroked her lovingly. Suddenly, I was at peace. More peaceful than I had ever been. Her trusting self fell asleep in my wings, and I was content to accept that trust, fully and completely. She nuzzled me in her sleep, and I nuzzled the top of her head right back. I...I lo-

I awoke with a start. Not because I wanted to, but because of the impossible. I was breathing faster already as it happened. I snapped myself out of my drowsy state and focused on it. My heart was beating like a drum in anxiety.

A powerful presence had entered the lab. And the sun hadn't even risen. A frighteningly intense mind was descending under the earth, closer to my location. I was shaking. I was actually shaking from the vibrations of power this mind's mere presence gave me. This person was terrifying, imposing, gruesome, why this person was...humming children's songs?

_Hakuna Matata, what a wonderful phrase!_

_Hakuna Matata. Ain't no passin' craze!_

_What the-? _I thought to myself as the intimidating force moved ever closer, forcing me to decide whether I was afraid or...I didn't even know what. This was an odd presence to say the least. This was further confirmed when I scanned the presence more, against my better judgement, seeing how I was practically being crushed by the mere fact that it was here. It was a threatening power, but on closer inspection, I saw it wasn't a dangerous one. I still couldn't tell a thing about it, but one thing was sure. It wasn't one of the scientists.

_It means no worries, for the rest of your days!_

Actually, this person wasn't even alone. Amidst that tremendous power were five smaller ones. Still very powerful, but paled in comparison to the singing one. But oddly enough, as the presence descended to my level, another weaker mind joined it. However, I'd spent enough time with this one to know those thoughts.

They were Lucan's.

There was hardly time to think about that though. Suddenly, the presence had started moving faster, straight towards the very same place I had sensed The Man watching me for all these months. The person stopped there, and for a moment, I began to get a glimmer of hope. But hope isn't exactly something that stays in tact for me. My mind clicked as I felt yet another presence. Wait...two presences. No...three presences. Wait, there was more. But I swallowed hard when I felt them. My spine tingled in nerves. The Man was among them.

_**-Location: ? (Axel)-**_

"It's our problem free, philosophy!" Axel sang to ease the tension as Lucan sat on his shoulder. Axel was casually pressing keys on a keyboard in a room cloaked in darkness. Nest to him, stood a multitude of flashing computer screens, each with the same image displayed, only at different angles. My prison cell. The clacks of the keys were the only sounds besides Axel's slightly off-key singing and the gentle hum of the computers in the room. The outline of a door could be seen behind him, a blazing light coming from the other side. "Man, that was a fun movie. But back to business. Soon, Ventus'll be out of there, then we'll go out for more slurpees! I love those things. This place is better than I thought it'd be! Heh heh."

Lucan sighed. Axel had gone off on many of these tangents already. Lucan didn't understand his fascination with this world. He wasn't too fond with it so far.

"Oh lighten up will 'ya? We just needed to trick Vanessa into finding the place, and then we sneak in and she's none the wiser. So..." Axel clicked a few more keys, did a girlish twirl and hit the 'enter' key. "...without further ado, let that sleeping gas turn-"

"What are you doing in here?" Axel gulped and turned around to see the worst case scenario. The door had opened up wide, and on the other side stood a man with spiky brown hair and glaring black eyes in a lab coat. However, he wasn't alone. To his left and his right stood...why don't I let them tell you? They do get a kick out of it.

"Prepare for trouble, this sure is unexpected!" Cassidy, standing to the right of the scientist declared the moment she saw Axel (after making a disgusted face).

"And make it double, now you have no exit!" Butch chimed in on cue, completely ready to chant their little mantra. I swear these people must've practiced this in their sleep.

"To infect the world with devastation!"

"To blight all peoples in every nation!"

"To denounce the goodness of truth and love!"

"To extend our wrath to the stars above!"

"Cassidy!"

"Butch!"

"We're Team Rocket, circling the earth all day and night!"

"Surrender to us now, or you'll surely-!"

"Dan, smokescreen!" Axel released the firey pokemon with a swift hand, and without hesitation, the Quilava blasted smoke into the room, shrouding Axel in its depths once again. The three opposite coughed up a storm before Butch grabbed a sphere just like Axel's from his belt and tossed it into the room. And just like Axel's spheres, this one burst open, releasing another pokemon from its confinements.

"Hitmontop, use Rolling Kick!" Suddenly, it was as if a miniature tornado had been unleashed in the tiny space. And when the smoke cleared, the reason was apparent. Once the pokemon stopped spinning, it was revealed to be one with a spherical body that was mostly blue except for a triangular patch on its chest. It was standing on its pointed head (which explained its ability to spin so fast) with its legs in the air as well as a long tail with a ball and spike at the end of it. This Hitmontop looked like...well...a top. But this pokemon wasn't the only thing revealed when the smoke cleared.

The scientist as well as this 'Team Rocket' nearly gasped when they realized Axel's smokescreen wasn't for the oncoming battle. It was an escape plan. But it was a smart escape plan. Not only was he gone, but the many computers and monitors that had been on his side of the room had all been completely destroyed. He wasn't dumb. He'd just shut the gas in my cage off, so letting those three turn it back on wouldn't have been the best idea. However, there was still the matter of getting out of there. And since he'd been discovered, that was a big problem.

Butch and Cassidy rushed out into the hallway, simply confounded about how Axel had gotten past them. Upon spotting Axel dashing down the metallic corridor, they gritted their teeth and began to chase down after him.

"Get back here you brat!" Cassidy screeched.

"I'll be honest! I didn't expect to see you here!" Axel yelled right back as he passed through an automatic glass door that shut behind him. But instead of continuing onwards, Axel turned around and fumbled around in his pockets for something. What he brought out was a metallic, slendrical object that was in the size and shape of a pen, with the word 'Silph' imprinted on it. The object had a round red button on it which he pressed immediately. The top of the 'pen' lit up in a sparkling white light and the door made a 'ker-shunk' sound. Butch and Cassidy came at the door running, expecting it to open for them. But quite on the contrary, they smacked right into it. "But it's not like I'm not prepared for you."

Axel waved and continued to sprint towards my cage. Lucan was initially confused at what just happened, giving Axel a tap on the shoulder and a puzzled "Pika?"

"It's better you don't know, trust me. The important thing is that the alarm is going to go off in about three...two...one, now." And right on cue, a bell began to sound throughout the facility, nearly busting Lucan's eardrums. "My device opens and closes locks, but it sets off security systems too easily. Sorry, but it was the only way to get them off our backs. Now if I can just get to Ventus-!" Axel's to-do list was interrupted when he turned a corner in the darkened halls and rammed right into a shadowed figure. The figure toppled over from the impact, forcing Axel's conscience to kick in, holding his hand out for the other person. "Whoops. Sorry 'bout that."

"Wait a minute. I know that voice!" Axel knew that voice as well. And boy, if that person could see his face, they'd see just how awkward a moment this was. "Axel? WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?"

"Oh no." Axel replied, sweating up a storm.

"Leave it to a fool to set off the alarm!" Vanessa screamed silently at her former partner in crime. "I thought you were leaving this to me! Are you trying to take that thing for yourself?"

"Heh heh," Axel laughed awkwardly, realizing she was talking about me, "I was just...um..."

"Save it! I can see through you perfectly. Our deal's off!"

"Wait!" Vanessa stopped herself from turning around and leaving when she heard a tone of Axel's voice she hadn't yet heard. Assertiveness, that bordered on creepy. When she looked back, this creepy feeling she got from his voice was suddenly intensified when the little light in their presence shone directly onto his glasses, reflecting the light so that she couldn't even see his expression, let alone his eyes. "I'm gonna regret this, but hold still a minute."

But enough about those two. Had Axel not informed of all this later, I would've had no idea what was going on. All I could understand at that point was that Lucan and someone abnormally powerful had infiltrated this place. I sensed great distress as the newest presences confronted the powerful one. But I wasn't sure from who exactly. Things were suddenly getting hectic. For a reason unknown to me, an alarm started blaring throughout the building. And things got even more unbelievable when yet another person entered the lab. Specifically, the regular. The girl who came in nearly every day to take a look at me. She'd never come at night before. But it wasn't just that. Once she and the powerful one got near each other, my mind was rejected from viewing the scene any further by a flux of psychic power. But before it was, a message was blazened into my mind, clear as crystal.

_Gas is off. Security system's down. Get out of there._

I couldn't push the thought off as random. This thing hit me like a freight train. It was so intense, so...trustworthy. I know that sounds odd, but it was so powerful that it was worthy of my respect. Don't expect to understand it. I sure didn't want to. So with a deep breath of the water that had kept me safe for so long, I rose to the surface of the water and poked my head above the surface, inhaling deeply.

Nothing but fresh air. Well, as fresh as it got in an underground lab. I don't know what happened, but I certainly had no misgivings as I paddled myself over to the shore. Once I'd left my watery home for the past months, I shook myself dry. Not an easy task. I was still a little weak. But if I wanted to get out, this might have been my only opportunity. So with incredibly heavy feathers, I made my way to the nearest wall and prepared myself for a Hyper Beam. I took a few deep breaths. Now was the time.

I wasn't expecting myself to draw up too much power. Just enough to get me out of this. But to my unending surprise, I mustered up more power than usual. In fact, this may have been the most powerful my Hyper Beam had ever gotten. I released the massive energy, and the recoil pushed me back a few feet. And the explosion afterwards sent me reeling for a few more. When I go my head off the ground again, I found the wall completely totalled. It's like I drove a bulldozer through that thing. Ashes of the incinerated steel lied strewn in the artificial grass under the walls that now resembled torn paper.

Being in shock would have been a priority were I not too sick of this place not to gag at the mere sight of it. I squeezed myself through the hole I made, entering the shadowed , and surprisingly large corridor of the lab. I wished this powerful person had told me which way to go. I hadn't exactly mapped out the whole building. Portions, but not all of it. What? What else would I do with my time? I folded my wings at my sides, so as to make a smoother fit. It didn't do much good, but it was good enough for now. So with no proper direction, I headed to the right, dragging my tail on the cold metal floor.

It was a while before anything happened. For the moment, I simply wandered the halls, completely unaware of any sort of escape route I was supposed to be taking. It was quiet. The slightest bump in the night made me jump in surprise. But what really shocked me, was what came next.

It was when I had entered a rather large room. I could tell it was large by the fact that I could easily spread my wings in here. But I could soon tell how large it was more easily. Mostly due to the fact that the lights had suddenly blazed on. With so much light reflecting off the metallic walls, my eyes closed shut immediately. So much light at once made my retinas stung. When I was able to blink my eyes open, I nearly gasped. It was...him.

The Man.

I may have never seen The Man, but his thoughts spoke for themselves. He was a brown-haired man with eyes black as coal. And he was in a lab coat. Suddenly, my previous months here in this lab came rushing back all at once. For a moment, just one moment, my mind went back into the animalistic state again. But I shook myself out of it. There as no reason he'd confront me with no protection. Which meant he had some. Or at least one form of it. I looked at his hands, and I saw that he had placed them in his pockets, and he couldn't look calmer. He obviously had some sort of weapon he didn't plan on showing until I had let my guard down. I understood. Despite how smart I'd been in staying just out of his reach these past couple weeks, he still thought I was a dumb animal. But I was about to give him the surprise of a lifetime.

_Proud of yourself? _I asked him using telepathy. When his eyes widened, mine squinted as I smirked in satisfaction. _Think you've got me? Think I'm too dumb not to know a trap when I see one? You're the dumb one, human. _

"That's...no way..." The Man was speechless. But I sure wasn't. I was enjoying every second of this.

_Get used to it. Now, about the hell you just put me through. I have half a mind to crush you between my toes you primate! So tell me you sadistic little whelp. Why shouldn't I just kill you. _I talked tough, threatening him like that. I knew I wouldn't do it. But it felt so good to tell him I was. To see the fear he'd given me reflected in his eyes. His hands were trembling and his face was twitching. Vengeance is certainly sweet. Not very classy, but sweet. _Well? What'll it be you ape? Why shouldn't I make you pay for what you've done to me? _I was projecting my anger into his mind. I wanted to make sure he felt my fury as I spoke to him. _What should I do? Tell me. TELL ME!_

"I...I...oh...oh God..." I just might have been overdoing it. But who cared? As long as he was in pain. But I wasn't done yet. There was a reason I was doing this other than revenge. I had to make sure he was too afraid to use his weapon. Because if I fell into his trap, I might not get another chance like this. He wasn't quite in enough fear. He was still like a cornered beast who was willing to fight back. If I wanted to get out, I'd have to do more than just frighten him. I'd have to psychologically traumatize him. Cruel I know. But what do you think he's been doing to me?

_I still haven't gotten an answer! What'll it be? Crushed in an instant? Impaled with my tail? Or should I just snap your nerves like twigs? Your choice._

"No...wait...please..." The Man was holding his head, as if that could block me out somehow. But I was tired of this. So I did the unthinkable. I made him experience it. I made him see everything he'd done to me from my perspective. Just like the two guards who tried to pacify me, he experienced it all in seconds. But unlike those two, I didn't hold back. I didn't want him to be so scared that he quit his job. I wanted him to be scared enough to want to quit his life. I made him experience, not just the pain of isolation, but the physical pain as well. I made him feel every electric shock, every arrogant little thought he and his scientists had, and every last one of the nights I'd spent with a drugged and crazed mind. The Man had been standing up for all of this. But once the show's curtain fell, so did The Man. He dropped on his knees, getting into a feeble position.

Well, that was a load off my mind. And a load on his. So, with his insanity rising fast, I knew he wouldn't be a problem. So with no other obstacles in my way, I focused on the weapon in his pocket. Using my telekenisis, I removed it from his pocket, letting it drop to the floor. Whoa! It was a gun! He was actually going to shoot me! Some people are crazy, but I was his test subject. He was totally nuts. I was about to nudge him aside, just leave this guy where he lied.

But what happened next threw yet another wrench into the works. Suddenly, the room got ten times chillier. My spine and tail were hit with tingles like I'd never felt. Even the lights were beginning to fade. There was something changing, something in the atmosphere. The air was freezing my very bones. And if this was happening to me, I could only guess what The Man was experiencing. He looked much worse off. He was rocking back and forth, almost like something else was doing it.

And then I heard him. The one thing that could possibly make the situation worse. Or better. It depended if you were me or The Man. I heard...my father.

_YOU DARE! _My dad's voice seemed to slice through my skull, hitting my brain like a bullet. And that's with mental defenses. The Man on the other hand...he screamed. And he didn't stop screaming. I wondered how he was doing this, but if I had to guess, I'd say that his recent contact with me gave him a better connection. But that was hardly on my mind when his voice began to get steadily louder. _YOU DARE MAKE MY SON SUFFER? MY SON? YOU SHALL NOT LIVE TO BEAR SPAWN OF YOUR OWN YOU FILTHY RAT! _

The room was beginning to shake. And then The Man stopped screaming. Odd since the room was suddenly experiencing below zero temperatures and quaking. But my confusion was cleared up when The Man let loose the most terrified, ear-splitting, blood-curdling cry for mercy I'd ever heard in my life. If I had ears, I'd shut them as fast as I could. But, with my father's sudden action, I felt I had no choice. I put a wingtip to The Man's forehead, and dove into his mind.

What I saw...shocked me. Then again, what hasn't these days? But this was a different kind of shock. Because in the black void of The Man's thoughts, I saw The Man. And standing before him, was my father. The angriest I would ever see him. He wasn't even touching The Man, and yet I could tell what suffering he was being put through. My dad was showing him more terrors than I ever could. More terrors I could even face. Losing everyone you loved. Wandering the world without a purpose. Terrorizing and almost killing the creatures you were meant to protect. I was getting glimpses of them all. Shadows of the telepathic images my father was revealing to The Man. And for a second, I let him. I let him torture the sadist who had tortured me. I let him slowly drive the life out of him, making him fear his own shameful footsteps, making him feel his very soul crush, bit by bit.

But my conscience kicked in. Don't you hate those things? They get in the way at the worst possible moments. But, all that aside, he was going to kill him. Literally kill him. And...he's my dad. I knew that he was good guy. So if he killed someone, he wouldn't forgive himself. So with all my telepathic strength...

_Father, stop! _I cried telepathically, clear as day. In The Man's mind, I put a wingtip on his back. He responded at my touch, turning back to me.

_Ventus._

_Father. It's okay. I'm out now. _

_But Ventus...HE-_

_He's only human. I do hate him. But no one deserves death father. _

_Ventus... _My father sighed and stopped the mental torture. His body went limp, his mind in shock. But my father wasn't done with him. _If you dare come near my son again, I'll crush you._ And after those words, my dad turned back to me once again and before I knew what he was doing, he hugged me again. I returned it, knowing he had been with me this whole time. It was reassuring. _Come home soon son. _

_I w-_

I was snapped out of The Man's mind by a sound most unfamiliar. So sharp and violent, almost like...

"GYAAA!" I screeched as I looked down at my chest. I'd been...shot. THere was a bullet wound in my chest, and blood, my blood, was spurting out of it. That pain was delayed but when it came, my mind fully realized that I had a bullet in my chest. My breaths were short and my heart was pumping out more blood just for me to let it flow out of me. I collapsed when I saw The Man. The smoking pistol in his hand.

My life was flashing before my eyes. Sweat was pouring right into my plumage. I was going to die. The end of everything was closing in around me. There was a hole in me. My mind just couldn't grasp that. Looking back on it now, I think I was panicking for no reason. But that's ridiculous. I'd just been freaking SHOT! I didn't know what I should do. Because all I could think of was dropping over dead. I was alone. It was hopeless. I was...I was...

My hope. the hope that had just been stolen from me was suddenly given back when I felt a hand on my belly. It stroked and my breathing got smoother as it did so. I trusted the hand. It was like an old friend. Calming me.

"Lily, come out!" I heard a voice say. I was so terrified, I couoldn't even tell if it was a boy or girl. But it was my last hope. And I wasn't gonna move until it did something. "Now wrap around Ventus, and use Heal Bell with Aqua Ring."

That's when I felt something slick, something incredibly warm and scaly at the same time wrap around me. And then, my pain and anguish turned to bliss and comfort. There was this nice, soothing, moist feeling surrounding my body. It was water, it took me a second, but I realized that it was water. Such wonderful water that massaged me in such a completing way. And that was just the preliminary performance. Because with this wonderful water came the most harmonious sound that would ever be heard. By anyone. It was a sweet sweet lullaby that now sang in my mind. I wanted that voice to continue. The chorus made me feel no fear. Made me forget every worry I ever had. And my face showed it. The notes made my face go totally mellow, and I don't think I was ever happier.

It went on like this. For what felt like hours, I lied in this blissed state, completely unaware of the healing process I was undergoing. My head was completely blank as this person basically performed surgery on me without my knowledge. And when it was over, I didn't quite know how to get out of it. Even when my coiiler got away from me and stopped singing, I felt no need to get up. No amount of shock could make me get alert.

"Hi Ven!" Lucan said as his visage got right in my face. My head jumped up fast, and my chest screamed in agony. I looked down, remembering my state immediately. But to my surprise, as I looked at the place where the bullet had been, I saw bandages. They'd been wrapped around me, front to back. When did those get there? I was completely confused until...I met him.

"Hi there Ventus." The mirror image of my human self said. It was a silver-haired young man with glasses and an odd fashion sense. "Good to see you."

"Do I know you?" I asked in my Lugian voice, although I had no idea how he was supposed to understand me. Guess I wasn't thinking straight.

"Heh heh. Not yet." Okay, apparently I didn't need to think straight. Because this guy blatantly understood me. "But you will. Or I will. I don't know. Time travel's confusing."

"What?"

"Oh. Did I say that out loud? You should probably just forget I did. Name's Axel. Axel Igaul. Don't you forget that now."

"Huh?" Then I remembered the bandages. "Did you-?"

"Patch you up? Well, I did half the job. I got the bullet out, and gave you the threads. Sedating you and stopping the bleeding was all thanks to Lily."

"Lily?" I turned my head to where he was pointing and saw, to be honest, something even more beautiful than Articuno. Did I just...never mind. What mattered was the creature before me.

Its appearance was similar to that of a sea serpent, its sinuous body was mostly cream in coloration, with red eyes and three black dots down its neck. The top of its head was long, with a point at the end, and long, thin red 'eyebrows' extending from above its eyes and thicker, also red-colored hair-like fins draping from the sides of the head. Its lower tail was covered with blue and pink scales, with striations of black, and four large scales, blue with red spots in the middle, overlapped at the tip of the tail to look like a fan. And it was breathtakingly beautiful. Its scales shone and its eyes drew me in. I nearly cried. I really did. And this thing was giving off some sort of...aura that calmed my nerves. Beautiful. But I snapped myself out of it (unwillingly of course) to ask what this was and just who this guy was.

"Who are you?" I asked without hesitation. Okay, a little hesitation, but only because this 'Lily' was simply beautiful.

"I told you. Axel Igaul. And this is Lily. My friend the Milotic."

"Yeah but-urk!" I was fully ready to give him the Q and A of a lifetime. But my bullet wound didn't quite agree. I sat down on my tail, my wound giving me the biggest shock of pain I'd ever had. Well, except for the plates that had grown out of my back of course. Those still took the cake.

"You should just rest up. Getting shot is no easy thing to recover from. Trust me. I know. I've got someone to handle all the escape-"

"Hey brat!" Axel turned around as the shrill voice of Cassidy broke through his miniature speech. She and Butch stood next to The Man who was still trembling from my dad's appearance. He simply laughed at the thought of her trying to sound intimidating. And she wasn't going to let that slide. Butch nearly had to duck and cover for her next outburst. "WHAT'S SO FUNNY YOU LITTLE TWERP?"

"Well it's certainly not your glowing personality if that's what you think. Crystal, I need you!" Axel threw a sphere of silver and red colors into the air. And since this was the first time I was viewing this myself, I was amazed as the ball opened, a torrent of white energy bursting forth. And when that energy formed into an organism, I nearly fainted. And not just from being shot.

It was a dragon. It was a large, light green, insect-like dragon. Its tail had several dark green stripes and three green rhombus shapes at the end. It had a pair of green rhombus-shaped wings, toeless hind legs and three-clawed hands. To top it off, it had red-lensed "goggles" covering its eyes and a pair of green antennae.

But unlike the 'Milotic' this thing didn't stand away from Axel. Instead, this pokemon (I knew it was a pokemon at this point. I wasn't stupid.) flew right towards Axel. For a second, I thought it was mad for being kept in the ball. That it was about to clock him. But instead, the pokemon hugged him, and started affectionately nuzzling him. And for the first time since I met him, he looked like he knew just how awkward a situation he was in.

"Ah-heh heh. I missed you too Crystal. Uh...the bad guys are that way though." The dragon turned around as he said this, but clearly with hesitation. Odd. The Milotic joined up with this new dragon, facing the two oddballs, Butch and Cassidy.

"So it's a battle you want?" Cassidy asked without really asking. "Then let's do this."

"Yeah, how many times have I beaten you now? Let's see, carry the two-"

But Axel's boasting would have to be saved for another time. Because the room had started shaking again. The cold returned, only this time, it was more than just me and The Man feeling it. This time everyone could feel it. But unlike the last time. This wasn't my father.

It was something much scarier.

The first time, I'd felt scared, but there was something familiar about the power entering the lab. So I felt a little safe at the same time. But this...this was just malevolent. It was as if creepiness itself was wandering its way up my spine and into my heart. All of a sudden, we were all trembling just as much as The Man. It was so cold, and I was feeling despair all around me.

"Oh no." Axel said more to himself than anyone else as I noticed Lucan clinging to my foot. His face showed me just how scared he could possibly be. He was hanging on for dear life, like my leg was the one thing between him and oblivion. "It's here."

"What's here?" I asked. But not before Axel's two pokemon friends turned away, as did Lucan. And suddenly I felt an irresistable urge to look away from The Man. It was instinctive, and I hardly needed what Axel said next.

"LOOK AWAY!" He was doing the same as me. Turning away from The Man as the fear within me multiplied by a factor of one quadrillion. So scared. My heart was vibrating so fast, it could be its own sound wave. And then there was wind. It was as if we were swept up in a windstorm as my shut eyes refused to open. Lucan had to hang on tight just not to be blown into this mini-cyclone.

And when it all stopped, I looked back up. And I nearly gasped again. Butch and Cassidy lied unconscious on opposite sides of the room. Axel and his pokemon looked alright, if not a little shaken up. Lucan looked the same, though he still refused to open his eyes as he clung to my leg. However, they were small potatoes compared to what stood where The Man once did.

It was a beast. Like Suicune, it looked like a dog or a wolf. But more specifically, this one resembled a lion. It was covered in brown fur with a long, thick mane covering its neck. It had gray plates surrounding the cape that made it look as if smoke was coming out of a crater on its back, and a plate beneath the cream belly fur on its chest. It had white paws with apparently retractable claws and brown paw pads, and black cuff-like bands on its legs. Its red face with a white plate that resembled a handlebar mustache on its face was matched with a three-pointed yellow crest on its forehead. But none of that was as fear-inspiring as what it said in the most evil, disgusting, bone-chilling voice in the world.

"Hello, Ventus."

**End of chapter nine.**

**Sorry this one took so long. Again, the typical excuse of real life and all. But one of my other fics is finished now, so I should have more time for this one. Until then, I'll catch y'all later. **


	10. Axel Igaul

Chapter 10: Axel Igaul

"What...What happened?" Lucan asked. And yes, I could understand him now. That bit of confusion could wait though. Because I had no idea what was happening either. I looked at Axel who seemed to be the only non-ignorant one here.

"Poor guy." Axel sighed as the beast before us suddenly roared. "He never stood a chance."

"What're you saying?" I asked with the anger I'd been using way too much lately. "And where's The Man?"

"You mean him?" Axel asked right back, pointing towards the beast. "You should just call him Entei."

"His name's Entei?"

"It is now."

"You mean-?" I turned my eyes back toward this 'Entei' and recalled Suicune for a moment. Jet's mom had been turned into a pokemon. And The Man was no longer here. So...I put two and two together. "What? How?"

"Listen, I'd love to tell you why and how, I really would. But if you'll notice, I've got to deal with a legendary pokemon and I'm not the best with explanations as it is, so if you'll excuse me." Axel adjusted his glasses and paused, almost like he was assessing the situation.

"I can help." I said as I tried to get up. But nope. That wasn't happening. My wound gave me a quick, stabbing, unceasing pain, making me sit down once more. Axel didn't even look back at me as he gave his somewhat arrogant reply.

"You got shot. I don't care how legendary you are. You ain't gettin' up right now. Now if you'll just stop distracting me, I can-"

"GRAAAAH!" Entei suddenly burst out in a wild rage. The beast was stumbling around, hitting his head against the walls. I was confused. But Axel sure didn't look that way. Even as Entei started crying out in fits of pain and rage, there Axel stood, planning out what he would do. "RRROOOOAAAAAA!"

"Oh can it! Lily! Aqua Tail!" Swerving forward with elegant speed, the Milotic's tail was suddenly surrounded by three rings of water that seemed to come from absolutely nowhere. Before Entei even saw it coming, Lily had swept his legs with her Aqua Tail, causing the creature to fall over, still roaring his head off.

But since nothing is ever that easy, Entei suddenly leapt up, chomping his jaws on the beautiful Milotic like she was a piece of meat.

"GAH! Lily return!" Axel looked...odd. He was frantic because Lily had been bitten, but I'd been a pokemon long enough to know that that had hardly been any damage at all. But Axel would disagree as he brought out the same red and silver sphere from earlier, pressing a button in the center. The sphere then fired a bright red beam at Lily, which seemed to convert her into the same sort of red energy and brought her back into the ball. Okay, turning into pokemon was one thing, but this was straight out of the realms of science fiction. Not my territory.

"YOU JERK!" Axel suddenly burst out like a madman. He was huffing like a bull with a red hood over its eyes. "Don't you know a contest-trained pokemon when you see one? I oughta pop you for that! No one messes up the polish job I do on her scales every day! You're going down! DOWN I SAY! CRYSTAL! EARTH-!"

But Axel's enraged outbursts weren't even heard. Entei looked confused at the disappearance of Lily. But he barely blinked before moving on to Crystal. In that instant, the room started to increase in temperature. And I saw why. A ring of flames had formed around Entei's feet. Not only that, Entei's entire body seemed to be radiating an incredible heat that seemed to know no bounds. In seconds, I was sweating again. Pretty soon I was panting. But my discomfort was nothing compared to Crystal's pain.

Before Axel could even call an attack. Entei rushed forward with incredible speed and leaped on the dragon pokemon. And no reaction was had, since Entei followed up by blasting flames in Crystal's face from his mouth. The dragon started roaring as she tried to claw the beast off of her, but he wasn't budging.

"Calm down Crystal! Use Dragonbreath!" Crystal heard him (though how she did that through all that fire in her face is beyond me) and blasted right back at Entei with a rather powerful attack of her own. But instead of flames bursting from her maw, this was some sort of green energy that I couldn't identify. When this attack hit Entei in the face, he got off of her with a yelp. "Alright! Hang onto something Ventus! 'Cause we're using Earthquake!"

Crystal got on all fours, and as if by magic, the whole room began to shake. Lucan suddenly climbed onto me, like he knew something big was coming. And something was, because when Crystal roared, the steel floor that had looked so sturdy began to literally uproot before her. This uprooting continued in a straight line, headed right for the very confused Entei. But this wild animal was smarter than he looked. Despite the shaking room, he got out of the way fast. But that wasn't all. He released another firey attack from his mouth. But this one came out in a spin as it was released, like a pyrotechnical tornado.

"Uh oh! Fire Spin! Get out of there Crystal!" Crystal tried to flap her wings to get out of the way. But all it needed to do was catch her foot. And when it did, her whole body was suddenly wrapped in swirling flames. Crystal went in for a crash landing, body still burning up.

"What happened?" I asked quickly.

"Fire Spin. It usually fades after a few seconds but..." Axel explained as the flames grew more intense around Crystal. "This must be Entei's power. He's keeping the fire up. And I can't recall her if she's trapped in that attack. If I can-VENTUS LOOK OUT!"

I'm sure Axel would've said more. He always does. But without my notice, Entei had suddenly gotten right in my face. And before I could smack him away, he blasted me with the same Fire Spin attack. I shoved Lucan off of me, just before I was caught in the flurry of flames. I screamed as the flames burned my feather and singed my skin.

But if I hadn't, I just might've noticed Axel fumbling around in his pockets. And I might've noticed him remove the two missing medallions. And I might've noticed him say the following.

"Right. Desperate times call for desperate measures. VANESSA!"

But I didn't see or hear any of that. All I could think about was the searing pain that just kept getting worse and worse. My Lugian hide helped, but not by a wide margin. The heat was killing me. Every fibre in me cried out for release. Being shot and being burned in one night isn't a pleasure cruise.

I don't know for how long I tried to get up and get this fire off me. It felt like hours before it suddenly disappeared from my body. And when it did I was left in a smoking heap on the floor. I breathed hard. Why does the world hate me?

"Come on you. Up you get." I felt a human hand wrap around my back, and with an incredible feat of strength, I was propped up, allowing me to sit up on my tail, my skin still stinging in burns. I turned my head just enough to see that it was Axel who'd done the helping. "Come on drama queen, you'll be fine."

"How'd you-" Before I could ask the mandatory question, Axel pointed to the giant elephant in the room. If you thought I was serious, don't worry, that's a figure of speech.

What isn't a figure of speech is this. The final two legendary birds were in the room. Yes, I'm serious. They were standing right there, facing Entei. The first was a phoenix like Jet, except far more intimidating. Its wings, head and tail appeared to be on fire, but on closer inspection, these were just fluorescent feathers. Its sleek neck ended with a pointed beak and a head with eyes of striking yellow. Intense.

The other's form was a stark contrast. Instead of the feathers flowing in a majestic manner, they were jagged, formed into a zig-zag pattern. The illusion of lightning was furthered with its tail feathers pointing in any which direction. Both wings had multiple 'layers' as it were. The bright yellow portions were sandwhiched between two black 'extra' wings each. The orange talons and black-feathered legs stood strong on the cold steel.

I wasn't standing strong though. I was too confused for words. I never found the other medallions. But these had to be them. I mean, what other giant elemental birds were there?

"Who...What...Huh?" I had so many questions. Wasn't exactly sure how to start. Luckily Axel was there to pat me on the back and told me just how ignorant I was.

"Ventus. May I have the honour of introducing you to...Moltres and Zapdos! The final two in your legendary bird posse!" The two birds screeched in unison as Axel made his introduction. And Entei looked like he would pop a blood vessel any second. "A confused beast is a tameable beast, that's what I always say! So, what do you say you two?"

_Right away, Axely Waxely._

_Be happy to. _

'Moltres'' thoughts were rather...flirtatious. But I gasped when I felt Zapdos' thoughts. That was impossible. I had to be mistaken. There was no way.

"Oh but there is Ventus." Axel said. I was taken aback. I hadn't said that. I didn't even make it known telepathically. He'd clearly just invaded my mind and read it like a book. Who was this guy? "You know who Zapdos is."

"What? No. He's gotta be here somewhere." I turned my head around the room. I checked every corner of the room, every inch of every wall. He wasn't there. But that can wait. The two avians were about to engage Entei in battle. But Entei was out of his daze and was all prepared to make the first move.

"GRAAAA!" Entei roared. And all at once, the room was alit with flames. The walls may have been made of hard metal, but nearly every wall had been smothered with the blazing light of fire. Entei roared once more, creating the same ring of flames around his feet as before. The beast's body was exerting flares every few seconds, and I was actually sweating. The temperature shot up even more.

But Moltres wasn't a bird of fire for nothing. She lifted her wings and squawked, which was all it took for the flames to suddenly swear fealty to her. My eyes stared unblinkingly at Moltres as every last roaring flame reduced to a gentle whisper. The reason being, they were all flying right towards her. She was literally absorbing the intense heat as it leaped into her body. She wasn't burned, oh no, far from it. Her body seemed to radiate beauty as she accepted every last spark as her own. She was surrounded by a sparkling aura that made every wingbeat, every breath and every blink of the eyes look as majestic as they could.

But Entei wouldn't be deterred. The beast growled as his flames were stolen, and his one advantage no longer made present. So with no other options, he went for the direct approach. He leaped at Moltres, claws bared. But he could hardly withstand what came next from Zapdos. Zapdos, like Moltres, was living up to his hype. Moltres, still taking on fire, didn't have to lift a finger as Zapdos' wings sparked with electricity. And before he was even a meter away from his target, he was assaulted by a gigantic bolt of electricity. Thrown across the room, the Entei struggled to get on his feet. He wasn't sure what had just happened. He'd thought they were regular birds. I guess that's what they smelled like to him. Oh, but they were so much more. Entei was going to have to fight smarter. And to him, that translated out to 'blast a lot of fire at them'. An inferno blasted from his maw, right at Zapdos. But it was no good. The fire redirected itself right over to Moltres who was more than happy to absorb it. Entei stopped. He looked confused. He just didn't understand that he was dealing with two legendary figures. Like he was supposed to be.

I just noticed it. There was a distinct difference between Suicune and Entei. Suicune had been intimidating, yes. But she had been in control of her abilities and her thought process. She'd been a force to reckon with because she was so in control. Entei on the other hand was attacking wildly, much like...well...a dog. But even dogs knew when they were outclassed. Entei was clearly ready for more punishment. His mouth was opening wide for another roar. And I could tell the flames were coming next.

_Some people are such slow learners. _Moltres thought as she got ready for the oncoming fire. I too, had to wonder why Entei just didn't realize he was beat.

_Keep fighting. _

A chill went down my spine as I heard that thought cross my brain. That voice was...so cold. I know that sounds weird, but the tone of that speech filled my lungs with pure ice. I scanned the room. There was no one there. No one that could've projected that thought. But the chilliness was real. But it was impossible. A thought...with no brain to have it.

"Did you hear-" I was about to ask Axel the traditional confused question, but he had bigger problems. Apparently, he knew something I didn't (like most people) and was frantically trying to warn Moltres of something.

"Vanessa! Get out of the way!"

_Why? I'll just take every last one of his-huh? _Moltres' gloating was cut short by Entei's flames. But these weren't like his other flames. Oh no. The fire around his feet had suddenly gone...purple. The same murky purple as the substance the darklings were made of. The same colour that had plagued the skies and the sea when they'd shown up. And the same colour that I saw in Entei's mind at this very moment. An endless darkness. And the same violet fire was now building up in his mouth.

"For once, listen to me! Get out of there before-!"

_Quiet. I can take it. _

"Gah! Why are all the pretty ones idiots? That's not fire! That's darkness! Pure darkness! You can't absorb that! Lucan! Hit him with a Thunder!"

_Right. _I was right. Zapdos was Lucan. There was no way. The medallions were only supposed to transform humans, weren't they? And didn't they need a legendary bird to activate them? I hadn't even set eyes on them.

I could think about it later. With a flap of his sparking wings and a screech, a bolt of lightning zapped right from Lucan towards Entei. And simultaneously, Entei shot flames at us. But the difference was, this time, nearly the whole room was engulfed in dark embers. Lightning and dark fire clashed, and suddenly, more than one type of spark was hitting me in the face. The two attacks were perfectly even. The light of the lightning was reflecting off every wall, while in contrast, the darkness of the fire was shrouding us in shadows.

"Don't just stand there Vanessa! Help him already!"

Instead of arguing back, 'Vanessa' listened to Axel this time. She opened her beak, and mirroring Entei's previous attack, a flurry of flames shot right out of her beak. Her aim wasn't too hot (no pun intended) but she was accurate enough to give Lucan a hand. It was a two-sided fight. At a moment, it looked like my comrades' attacks would be winning. But then Entei would pump up the heat, and the two birds would have to work even harder.

"URK!" Lucan squawked. I read his mind quickly and my eyes widened. He couldn't take much more. He wasn't used to such power, and as a result used too much. I didn't hesitate. I stood up.

"Yo! You trying to kill yourself?" Axel preached as he put a hand on my chest, trying to get me to sit down. I brushed it away, forcing a confused blink from him.

"They're not gonna win, unless I help, are they?" Axel made a pouting face and adjusted his glasses. "I won't stand by and watch." That's what my heart said, but the gun wound said differently. It said 'SIT DOWN YOU BASTARD'. But I didn't feel like listening to holes in my chest. I was still breathing pretty hard from pain, but Lucan had come all this way to find me. I wouldn't let him go down like this. Axel looked for a second, like he'd try to get me to sit by force. But he simply smiled and shrugged.

"Ah determination. I know it well, Venny-boy. Such a force cannot be stopped by logic. So why don't I help you out a little?"

"What are you-?" But I knew in a second. Because Axel was tearing down my mind's defenses. No joke. All the walls and barriers I'd put on my brain were no match for the sheer force of Axel's will. I tried to keep him out, but he kept moving forward. I tried to swat his physical body away with my wings, but he ducked and then kicked me in the leg. I didn't want him in there. I thought he'd hit some part of my brain which made me sit out of the fight. I thought he'd take control off me. But instead, he was out of there just as soon as he came in. I gasped as he stopped invading my head. "WHAT...DID YOU...JUST DO?"

"Hydro Pump Ven. I just unlocked it for you. Be thankful. Normally, you'd just have to learn it yourself."

"What?"

"Now. Look at Entei, and imagine that you're spouting an incredible amount of water from your mouth at him."

"What are you talking about?"

"Ah, the classic question. You ask that way too much. Just do it."

I rolled my eyes. I really hated it when people explained things after the deadly battle. I glared at Entei with every bit of hatred I could muster up. I knew Axel was crazy, but he was smart. If he thought there was even a slight possibility that I could somehow magically blast a gushing source of water at Entei then maybe there-

Hold that thought. Because before I could even think of a reason not to try, it happened. Water was coming up my throat faster than my gag reflex could kick in. And all of a sudden, my mouth turned into a hose. The water attack gushed out of me so fast, that I hardly had time to think. And luckily, it was right on track. It joined the lightning and fire in combating Entei's attack. And unlike them, it was far more effective. The three attacks were pushing back Entei's. Entei was getting scared, and it was perfectly reasonable. We just had to keep up the pace. He had to be at full power. As long as he wasn't holding back then...why do I even bother?

The fur all over Entei shot straight up, and with his loudest mighty roar yet, the room was once again on fire. But this time, with dark flames. And the room wasn't the only thing on fire. Entei had engulfed himself in the shadowy inferno. And even though Axel said these flames weren't really flames, the small space was beginning to fill with smoke. Pitch black smoke that began to cloud my vision. And my senses. The moment I took my first whiff of that smoke, I went woozy. I put my wing to my head, trying to get my thoughts together. If I didn't focus I would just be a gigantic target for...for...wait...who was I fighting? My eyes struggled to stay open, and for a moment, just a moment, I hung my head and shut my eyes. But I fought. As hard as I could, I opened my eyes and tried to break free of the smoke's spell.

"Wha-?" I was so tired. I knew I'd just been fighting somebody. But I closed my eyes for a second, and suddenly I couldn't, for the life of me, think of who it was. I was beginning to stumble in a daze. I forced myself to concentrate. I widened my eyelids as far as I could. I needed to prepare. For one last blast. That's all I could manage with my distorted mind. So with as much effort as I could muster I made my eyes open up like gates. And...I froze.

I was...I was home. And not the Lugia home. The human home. I was staring up at the same ceiling, with the same covers around me and the same...human body. I sat up in bed, touching my face to make sure it was real. I was aghast. This couldn't be real. I stared around the room. It was mine. I saw the same books on my shelves, the same old toys shoved in my closet from when I was a kid.

_No...no way..._I thought to myself as I lifted up my shirt, finding no trace of the feathers that had grown on my human form. I wrapped my hand around to my back as best I could. No plates. I was breathing fast. I shook my head rapidly. There was no way that was a dream. I wouldn't accept it. I had been happy, so very happy, to know I had a home out there, somewhere. I wanted nothing more than to believe this was the dream. That if I slapped myself as hard as I could I'd wake up. I tried it. It hurt like hell, but I didn't wake. I tried again. Nothing. Again and again I slapped myself in the face. I couldn't go back. After seeing all I'd seen and doing all I'd done, I absolutely refused to go back to the human life I'd had before.

"I'm a Lugia." I said to myself with a cracking voice. I was near tears. I hadn't known it until now, but being a Lugia was the most amazing thing I'd ever experienced. I loved flying. I loved swimming. I loved the friends I'd made by being a Lugia. I loved each and every one of them. But most of all, I knew who I was. "I'm a Lugia...I'M A LUGIA! SILVER SOUL!" I shouted those words to the heavens, hoping the power would well up inside me. I hoped for a miraculous transformation in which I would unintentionally destroy my room and every possession my human self had. I hoped to feel the extra limb, my tail act as uncontrollably as ever, like it had a mind of its own. I wanted to feel the immense power I had no control over.

But it never came.

"SILVER SOUL! SILVER SOUL! CHANGE DAMMIT! CHANGE!" It had all been so real. But, I had no choice. Everything I did. Everyone I helped. It was all...not real. I didn't know what to do. My brain was trying to remember all the experiences. I tried to remember my time in the lab, and everything that had transpired there. But, as if my memories just decided to take a left turn into bizarro-world, I felt only an abstract tingliness in my limbs. That kind of feeling you get when you figure out that pain in a dream wasn't real. I'd woken up from dreams before, and that same tingling sensation had brought me back into reality. Which only meant that this was reality. I felt a knot of frustration build up in my lungs. And pretty soon, that knot had turned into a net. A net with so many knots, that nothing quite gave in. Until I had too many knots. Too much stress on the rope. And when the rope broke, well...

"GYAAAAAH!" I screamed in absolute anger and resentment towards my subconscious. I know. I was behaving like a child who had his candy taken right from under his nose. It was an immature outburst. But you tell me what happens when your life changes in a single day, when you spend what seems like months believing the change to be so, when you meet your father for the first time in your own dreams no less and have it all taken away in an instant. It wasn't fair. It just wasn't.

"Why on earth are you screaming?"

My heart skipped a beat. I froze in place. My eyes couldn't and wouldn't blink. I was completely immobile. And my mind would only think one thought. It couldn't be.

"I swear, you need to calm down. Maybe you and I should look for a job for you."

I didn't answer. I was too busy sweating and forcing myself to breathe. I didn't want to turn around. I didn't want to be disappointed with what I found. I didn't want to see the one thing I never thought I would, to find only an illusion as well. But nevertheless, a gentle hand was placed on my shoulder, and I couldn't resist.

"Oh, I'm not serious. Are you alright Zack? Dear, you look a little flustered."

"Mo-?"

"Wakey wakey!" My eyes opened up wide. I was back. In the lab. Still with a bullet wound in my chest. I groaned from the pain that shot into my bones. I had been straining myself. I didn't even want to know how long I'd been standing up while zonked out like that. I toppled backwards, slamming my head on the floor, forcing another grunt of agony. But still, despite the hole in my body, the unending pain and the desperate need for water, there was something...different. Something to do with the fact that I didn't have a tail.

Hey, wait a minute. I was human again. Or rather, it felt like that as I lay there. I had two legs, a short neck, sweat in my hair. In fact the only thing missing was the fact that I didn't feel a shirt on my-

"HOLY (Word I can't write in good company)!" I shot myself up into a sitting position immediately, once I saw what had happened to me. My transformation was continuing to say the least. My torso had almost completely morphed to my Lugian form. A hoodie wasn't going to cover this. I was up to my neck in feathers, and they'd grown all the way to my waist as well. The plates on my back now emerged from a Lugia's back, with feathers and a body full of blubber. My back wasn't the only thing transitioning to a full Lugia form. My front as well, was no longer just home to the light blue crest of feathers which was usually on my chest. Now my entire torso was smeared in my shining silver feathers, eliminating the need for a shirt to keep me warm. And my hands...oh God, my hands. They were obviously about to become wings any day now. My arms were completely cloaked in feathers, and they were both quite bulkier. Not only that, but my hands and fingers had thickened up as well. But on the even more down side, I didn't have any fingernails.

"Good to see you have your priorities straight." I looked away from my disfigured body for just a second to find the real problem. My horror was nothing compared to Axel's. In fact, I was having a walk in the park compared to what he was going through.

His clothes were on fire. Or rather, they were on dark fire. Axel was breathing heavily as Entei's dark flames created a torrent of flame around Axel's somehow still-standing body. But compared to the state Entei was in, he was walking on sunshine. Axel may have been burning, but Entei was shrieking. The beast was rolling around on the floor, screaming his head off. His legs appeared to have been hit by something majorly concussive, since he was struggling to stand.

"You need to get better, you three." Axel said between deeps breaths, his button shirt almost burned to cinders by this point. "If you're falling for this idiot's mind games, then you're in trouble."

"What?" I asked, officially confused. Granted I was confused before, but this time misery had company. I turned my head right, seeing Lucan back in his old Pikachu body, trying to regain his senses. And to my left was a girl. I'll admit, a pretty attractive girl with red hair, and striking yellow eyes (or eye, seeing as how I couldn't see her right eye through her bangs). Oddly enough, she was wearing a black jumpsuit. The kind that I thought only existed in the movies. "Wait. How did...how did they become Zapdos...and Moltres?"

"Do you really want to bring this up NOW?" Axel shot back, clearly in agony. I swallowed hard. He got intense when he needed to be.

"But...the medallions...I thought-"

"That they needed a legendary bird to activate 'em? Well." Axel let his button shirt slip off, letting the burning piece of clothing drop to the floor. And I gasped when I saw what I did. "You're right."

"You...you're...WHAT?"

"WHAT THE HELL?" The girl to my left, who I figured to be Vanessa exclaimed as loud as me.

"Huh?" Lucan said, just as surprised. And who could blame him? This...I'd seen monsters made of darkness pop out of the sky, my own life change before my eyes, even a cute brunette who liked me just as much I liked her. But this...was the most shocking.

"Normally, I wouldn't show this." Axel explained as two wings spread from the back of his black T-shirt. Both as silver as my wings and twice as long. But unlike mine, they sprouted from his back, and were more wing-like, without the pseudo "fingers" of mine. The wings spread into the room, creating an air current that extinguished every last flame in the place. Even the ones surrounding Entei. "But hey. You were bound to see me like this sometime."

Axel's wings were...brilliant. They shone in the meager light, and with that light, I saw some more differences between him and me. His right wing was completely silver, but the left was odd. Here and there, was a streak of crimson, like someone had thrown brush strokes all over it. And Axel's back wasn't the only thing sprouting feathers. Now that his long sleeves were gone, we could all see his arms plain as day. And up to his wrists, he had feathers. Silver feathers, exactly like mine.

"Axel..." I said simply. This was just...I didn't even know. I didn't understand. This was incredible, and confusing. Mostly confusing.

"Those dark flames were given to Entei, by 'it'." Axel blew my amazement off and simply adjusted his glasses. "I can't exactly tell you what 'it' is, but I can tell you this. Entei just took every last bit of your power."

"What?"

"You're no longer in your true form. That's a result of the smoke. It comes from the darkness. The shadowy flame creates a smoke that causes...hallucinations. The kind that makes you think you're at your weakest. And when you think you're at your weakest, the smoke steals all of your strength, until you are at your weakest. And that strength goes right to Entei. Gotta say. He may have lost his mind, but 'it' seems to have made some reassurances. So that 'it' can't lose."

"Wha...You're telling me, that was all-"

"Made up, subconscious, totally boggus little illusion. But don't worry, I hit him before he got all your power." Entei could disagree. A mighty roar rejected every confident remark Axel just made. And made every bit of fur on his body stand erect once again. Without any thought towards the injuries he'd just sustained, Entei roared once more and stood on trembling legs, growling at Axel.

_Kill..._

"Nyeh!" I felt another chill hit my spine like an arrow. There was that voice again. And it was a lot more clear this time. I was freaked out just by the tone, let alone the words. "Who's saying that?"

"Saying what Ven?" Lucan asked as he ran up to me, obviously concerned for me. But if he couldn't hear it, then was of no help.

"Whoever's saying the word kill!" I shouted like a madman before my spine got a one-way trip to the arctic. Or at least, that's what it felt like when the soulless voice spoke once again.

_Oh, so you can hear me now? What a treat..._

"Wha...Wha...?" I was so cold all of a sudden. That voice chilled me to the core. And I wasn't sure how it was doing it. It was the exact opposite of when my father called out to me. It wasn't trusting. It was absolutely horrifying.

_Ah, you're afraid. I haven't felt your fear in so long. You've been very brave I see. _

"Wh...Wh...Who...?" I couldn't even talk I was so cold. My lungs filled with ice. I could hardly breathe.

_Yes. Oh, you'll know me very soon. But for now, I think I'll enjoy the anguish you and your rat will face. When my pet has finished with this...Axel._

I gasped for breath. It was gone. I was free to breathe, free to sweat, and free to be even more frightened. I was drenched in sweat. To hear a benevolent voice in your head, that's one thing. But to hear a chilling one like that, that's another. The benevolent kind makes you feel safe and protected, because that's what my dad wanted me to be. But this one...I wasn't sure.

But in the meantime, I had plenty to distract me. Like Axel and Entei. And boy, was Axel ever the distraction. His wings were glowing. No, they didn't just look like they were glowing. They had real luminescence. And then, my brain got a swift punch. Axel adjusted his glasses once more, and I finally knew who the incredible power I had sensed earlier was. The intimidating force that demanded respect, was none other than Axel himself. Though I guess you figured that out, huh?

"Oh, so you wanna play, huh?" Axel asked without really asking. With a smirk and a laugh, Axel's right hand began to glow. Along with his wings. Whatever Axel's power was, he was ready to show it in full. "It's getting a little cramped in here, big boy. What do you say I teleport us out of the situation?"

Axel's wings made a brilliant white light. I shut my eyes. It was way too bright. I had to put an arm in front of my eyes just to make sure I wouldn't get blinded. I felt Lucan plant his face in my leg so he could avoid the light too. I kept a hand over his head. Whatever was happening, I just wanted to make sure we all got out safe. Me and Lucan as well.

But the light faded, and when it did, all I could do was open my eyes. Or rather, it was the only thing my shocked mind would let me do. We were out. I flipped my head in any which direction because I couldn't believe it, but it was true. We were no longer in the lab. I was staring at the morning sun. Or at least, the top of it. Mostly because I was on the top of something as well. And by the wind I felt smacking my face, a pretty tall one. One look at what I was sitting on, and I knew it was a skyscraper.

I had no words. This was just the next odd thing to happen. It must be impossible to make a mental checklist of all these things. Otherwise I wouldn't be surprised by it.

But something even more odd was going down. As I looked around, I saw that Axel wasn't here. And neither was Entei for that matter. Lucan still clung to my leg like a hurricane would sweep him up at any moment. And Vanessa was with me too, albeit, still a little dazed.

"Axel!" I called out into the orange morning sky. I dragged myself over to the edge of the building so I could get my bearings. But one look over the edge almost made me back up again. I was up at least fifteen stories, looking down upon the busiest city I'd ever seen. Or at least it would have been, were the cracked and torn streets not littered with crashed cars and screaming people. Smoke billowed from crashed autos, people were running in the streets, children were being led away by their mothers. And all this chaos was centered around the only person and being that could cause it.

Down the road and standing amidst a ring of nearly destroyed cars stood Axel, wings still in broad view, facing off against Entei. But this wasn't the regular Entei. Or at least, it didn't look like him. This Entei no longer had any whites in his eyes. Even from this distance, I could see freezing crimson eyes lighting up the morning. And from the 'volcano' on his back, dark flames were erupting, sending a beacon of darkness into the orange sky.

_Stay back and watch, newbie. _Axel's thoughts hit my brain like a missile. And then the fighting began. And I haven't seen a more one-sided fight since.

"GRAAAAH!" Entei roared to the heavens and all of a sudden, the darkness erupting from his back gained sentience. The flow of shadows redirected themselves, falling like a waterfall towards Axel.

Axel wouldn't be a punching back. Wind. Visible wind began to form around his body. And it was being focused. By some majestic force, the wind began to form at Axel's right hand, and a familiar energy was being created. My eyes widened.

It was Aeroblast.

But instead of firing at the darkness in order to dispel it, he aimed right for Entei. The surprised Entei hardly saw it coming. The mass amount of wind energy blasted the beast right in the face, lifting him off his feet and sending him careening into the array of cars. The darkness above Axel dispersed, but it hardly mattered since he was already warming up for the next assault. His wings flapped and with an incredible amount of speed, he hovered just above Entei. The dog looked up, roared and leapt at the flying teen. Entei blasted dark flames out of his mouth, hoping for a full frontal assault.

But against Axel, that's a death sentence. Axel's wings flapped and he swerved right around Entei's dark attack. So swiftly in fact, that he had time to kick Entei across the face with force of a wind. And with quick hands and amazing control, Axel tossed another Aeroblast at Entei, blasting him into the road and leaving a crater where he lied.

Axel landed with crossed arms across the battlefield from Entei. Entei, not being one to back down, no matter how many times he was knocked down, scrambled up once more. I swear, this thing needed to learn taking punishment wasn't a good thing.

Axel reached for his belt, grabbing one of his red and silver spheres. He enlarged it with a tap of his finger, and tossed it as fast as he could. It opened up wide, and out emerged the orange dragon named Kenya. Of course, this being the first time I would see him, this was surprising. Axel never did tell me where he met all these pokemon. Or why they did as he told them to. Oh well, back to the matter at hand.

Entei shot more fire, but we all knew it was pointless. The dragon, Kenya, stood in front of Axel, blocking the human off from anything. For a second I thought Axel was getting this dragon to take the hit for him. But, no. Even as the darkness cascaded at the dragon's belly, he didn't seem to pay it any heed. I couldn't tell it from here, the dragon's back was turned to me. But one look at his mind and I was instantly rejected. All I saw was determination. And a strong will to protect...someone. And this dragon wouldn't have anyone penetrating his mind about it.

Axel pointed at Entei and gave an order that I couldn't hear. The dragon raised his wings and flew right into the dark flames that appeared to do absolutely nothing to him. Entei was shocked. So much so, that he stopped the torrent of flames. His attacks were doing nothing and he finally knew it. The beast of pure darkness was actually scared. The beast was actually turning around. He was trying to run.

Too late for that. The dragon was already in the air and had wrapped his arms around Entei's underside, lifting him into the air. Entei struggled as Kenya did so, clawing and biting. But it did absolutely nothing to Kenya's draconic hide. The dragon soared ever higher, as if he had no added weight at all. And it wasn't until Kenya had brought the agonized beast to the height I was at that he did something else. Kenya spun and spun and spun until he tossed Entei at mach speed towards the earth. More specifically, at Axel.

Axel adjusted his glasses and prepared an Aeroblast in his right hand. Even Entei could realize what was happening. Axel smirked. And then shot that Aeroblast right into the face of the oncoming Entei, blasting him right back into the air.

"HERE WE GO!" Axel shouted as he fumbled around in his pockets once again. He brought out another sphere, and enlarged it. Later I saw that it was a different sort of sphere. A sphere that was all black. But with three horizontal golden stripes across it. Axel got ready, took a shotput stance and chucked the ball up at the now falling Entei. "LUXURY BALL! LET'S GO!" The ball hit Entei in the jaw and it opened up wide. Speaking of jaws, mine dropped when I saw Entei's form convert into a mass of red energy. I couldn''t stop watching the spectacle. The energy that was once Entei was sucked right into the ball, and the ball snapped shut. The circular button was flashing red, and the ball rolled as it hit the ground. In fact, it looked to me like Entei was trying to break free. And for a moment, it looked like he'd succeed.

But one look at Axel's face and one sweep of his mind said different. Axel was sure. He was confident. And he knew that this fight had ended. The ball rolled...

...once...

...twice...

...three times...

"_Ding." _The ball stopped rocking, and the circular button stopped flashing. I could hardly believe it. I could hardly believe anything. For a second, I thought I was still hallucinating. But I wasn't.

Axel captured Entei.

**There we are, chapter ten! **

**Thanks for waiting once again everyone. Glad I got down to business this time. More chapters coming your way soon.**

**PS – Yes harison86. I noticed you. Kinda hard not to. **

**See all you fabulous folks later!**


	11. Igaul Knows it All

Chapter 11: Igaul Knows it All

The smoke parted from the scene as Axel picked up the black and gold sphere deftly, like it could open at any moment. I still didn't understand what had just happened. I didn't understand how people kept getting changed into pokemon. I didn't understand these mysterious spheres Axel seemed to have an endless supply of. And I especially didn't understand how Axel had hid his two-meter length wings under a simple button shirt. But there he stood, in the middle of destruction, staring at a small sphere that contained one of the most deadliest creatures this world had ever seen. It was a pretty intense moment...until he broke out laughing. The teen flapped his wings and soared into the sky, the dragon Kenya right on his tail. He was flying so fast I hardly had time to duck before his feet almost made contact with my face. I turned around as I stood up, and got a face full of feathers.

"Whoops, sorry Ventus." He certainly was. Right after Axel said those words, the wings disappeared. I don't mean that he hid them again. I mean that they completely _vanished. _Axel stood in front of me, arms crossed, his sphere in his right hand, and a smirk that bordered on arrogant. But the one thing he was missing was wings. Granted, that's not something most people would miss, but this wasn't exactly any ordinary guy.

"How did you-?" I stuttered.

"You're not the only psychic around here. It's all a trick of the mind."

"Huh?" Vanessa was the one flabbergasted this time. Though she hated to look it.

"The feathers are still there. I can just make you think they're not. Neat, huh?"

"You can do that?" I asked with such a dopey expression. When I was clueless I really showed. Unlike this Vanessa girl, who always had the mysterious motif about her, even if she was as stumped as I was.

"You kidding? You can too."

"I...I can?"

"Sure you can. Just focus. Focus on your body and picture it in your head."

"Picture what?"

"First, close your eyes." I did. "Then picture your body as it was. And then project your thoughts in a three hundred, sixty degree radius." It was hard. I'd been in Lugia form so long, it was hard imagining myself without wings. Wait, why am I saying that? I was human most of my life, it should've been easy. But for the life of me I couldn't-

"Hey! Nice work!" Axel applauded me slowly almost sarcastic, but not quite. I opened my eyes and looked at my chest. Hey, it worked. Even I saw the same clothes I had on before the latest morph. The hoodie, the t-shirt, regular human hands. Yep, it was all there. "Looks like you even fooled yourself. If you can do that, you can fool anyone."

"Phew." I wiped my brow clean as Lucan climbed onto my shoulder.

"You okay Ven?" He asked.

"Yeah."

"What was it like in there?" I started to shiver. But kept my composure. "Oh you know. They drugged me, stuck a few needles in me, basically made me their own personal blood donor."

"Oh geez." Axel said putting a hand on my shoulder and having the first serious expression I saw him have. "I'm sorry we took so long. We didn't actually know where you were."

"I suppose you're going to blame me for that?" Vanessa said as she brushed the dirt off her jumpsuit. Oddly enough, Kenya had landed beside her. And the only reason seemed to be to growl at her. She simply gave the creature a cold glance, and started playing with her hair.

"Nah. Couldn't be helped. The P.C.S. is just a really, REALLY annoying organization to find."

"P.C.S?" I questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh, right. You're still out of the loop. That would be the Paranormal Creatures Society. A group that's hell-bent on tracking down, well, paranormal creatures. And after all the commotion the darklings caused you, people have been taking notice. But it's okay though." Axel gave me the thumbs up and reached behind his back. Predictably, he brought out another red and silver ball. With hardly a flick of the wrist, he pointed it at Kenya and recalled the Dragonite, who was currently looking aggravated enough to bite Vanessa's head clean off. "Sorry about that Vanessa. He's rude sometimes. Back to business. The P.C.S. may be powerful, but let's face it. They're a bunch o' geeks. Now that you're out of there, they shouldn't be much of a problem. I believe that should answer all of your questions."

"Uh...no." I said as I crossed my arms, my eyebrow still arched.

"Really? You're weird." Oh, great. He thought I was weird. Think about what that says about me. Axel turned to Vanessa with a dumb grin and bowed like a gentleman. "I humbly request a helicopter out of here before people start asking me questions. I don't like questions. They make feel...interrogated."

"Kind of the point." Vanessa flipped her hair and checked her watch. "And I'm already ahead of you. Called one in before that madness began."

"Yeah, you would do that wouldn't you?"

"Excuse me." I piped up before these two could exchange more banter. "Just who the hell are you two?"

"Aw man. Questions." Axel sighed before turning himself back to me. "I really do hate being asked those. Oh well. Y'see it all began back when-!"

I'm sure Axel's explanation would've been amazingly informative. But suddenly, the wind began to pick up. My hair certainly knew it. It felt as though it had been caught in a wind tunnel. And furthermore, Axel continued to talk despite the fact that his voice was being completely drowned out by the sound of air being sliced apart. Like the sound a helicopter made. And it was getting louder by the second. I turned myself around to find the source. And it was no surprise that it actually _was _a chopper. A bright red one. The smoke parted like the Red Sea for it, as it hovered its way toward us. I had to cover my eyes to shield myself from the near typhoon coming our way.

I expected the copter to land, but quite contrary to my liking it kept up its windstorm simply by suspending itself in midair above our heads. And even worse, the door opened, and a muscled man in a suit and sunglasses emerged. For a second, I thought he was gonna snipe us. But that was just typical worry wart me. Instead he flipped a rope ladder from the chopper, letting it fall until the end of it just about smacked Axel in the face on the descent. I didn't really feel like getting in the air without my own wings, so naturally, I backed up a bit. But luckily good old Axel was there to give me a good literal shove in the right direction. I nearly tripped as he pushed me right into the ladder, which gave my face a good lashing. Ouch. My forehead stung.

_Come on then. Chop chop. _Axel sent me the thought when he finally realized he wouldn't be heard with the helicopter in the background. My hands shook as I stared at the ladder. I've never said this, because usually I can fly. But I'm actually scared of heights. Yeah yeah, go ahead and laugh. Let's just say it's different when you're the one in control of your own flight. Don't make fun of me, it's not like you can fly. But nevertheless, I grabbed onto the rope with both hands and pulled myself up, Axel and Vanessa soon following suit.

_Wait, can't you fly? _I asked Axel.

_I don't like it. _He replied. _Flying using my own wings gives me motion sickness._

_That doesn't make any-_

_You're gonna find that a lot of stuff about me that doesn't make sense. Plus, you're one to talk, mister 'I can change into a legendary pokemon through means I don't actually understand'. _

I sneered at him and moved on. When I reached the chopper, it was with pure exertion of effort that I pulled myself into the four-seater. When my legs crossed the threshold, I realized just how much I failed at physical activities. The human kind anyway. Give me the open skies any day. Just that little rope climb had me sweating. Geez, that guy in the suit could've at least...wait...where did he go? Seriously, the only other person in that copter was the pilot sitting in front of the complicated controls, and he was scrawny. Weird. For the size that it was, the interior was pretty roomy. The outside may have had a red colour to match Vanessa's hair, but the inside was definitely made to match her outfit. Black leather for the seats, black carpeting crawled between my fingertips and even the pilot was in on it by wearing a black uniform and helmet. Girl has an ego, I'll give her that.

Lucan sniffed the air and cringed. He didn't like new car smell I guess. But he hardly had time to even take a whiff before Axel barged in and gave me a firm shove into my seat.

"Hey!" I shouted as Axel helped Vanessa onto the chopper. Though to me, the way she flipped her hair back and slid her way into the front seat, I don't think she needed it. "What was that for?"

"Payback." Axel said, taking his seat and crossing his legs, taking a laidback position with his seatbelt on.

"Payback for what?"

"You'll see." Axel let off a smug grin and shut the wide-open door. And I swear, ten seconds after he put his headset on, he fell asleep. Seriously, when I put my headset on, all I could hear was snoring. Great. I had officially met someone weirder than Rallis. Difference was, I minded this one.

"Enjoying the ride?" I heard Vanessa's flirtatious voice slither into my ear. She was giving Lucan and I a sinister grin from the front seat, her one electric yellow eye giving me the creeps with how sharp it was. "I've gotta say, never believed for a second that that creature was really a human. Oh, sorry, it's the other way 'round isn't it?" Vanessa was getting sarcastic. I thought the pilot would be confused by our very words, but no. He stared straight ahead, completely unhindered by what Vanessa was saying. "So, Ventus, is it? That's Latin 'innit it? Never knew a bird could be Latin."

"Who are you?" I asked, trying to skip the pleasantries that always seemed to come my way. I just never learned that skipping the preliminary bits just were just not part of the job description.

"Vanessa De LaFleur, Professional Thief. At your service."

"Thief?"

"Yes. I was going to steal you, actually. Of course, Axel there had to go and spoil it by showing me who you really were. Terrible shame. Trust me, I would've given you better living conditions than the P.C.S. ever could. That offer is still open by the way."

"No thanks. I don't feel like being someones pet."

"Oh well, all the same to me." Vanessa said as she began to run her fingers through her bangs in an extremely slow pattern. She made a gesture towards Axel's snoring form as the skyscrapers of the city became more scarce outside the windows, and grassy plains began to sprout on our path. "Don't let him fool you. He can be quite...intimidating when he wants to be. That telepathy of his is rather intense. Especially when he uploaded your entire history into my head."

"What? He did that?"

"I have to admit. It was the only way he was going to stop me from trying to take you. Would've been a terrible mistake, seeing as how you can snap my synapses with a mere thought." I had to wonder what the pilot thought about all this. But I had to assume that he couldn't hear, since he wasn't even looking at us.

"Wait...how much do you know?"

"About you? As much as he felt like showing me. About him? And everything else? Nothing."

"Okay, how much do you know about me?"

"I know that your father is tearing your world apart out of grief and misery. Is that enough for you?"

"He's not like that you know!"

"Relax would you? I know what's going on, I'm not stupid. Though I can't say the same for your two friends."

"Friends? You mean...AMY AND JET? YOU KNOW WHERE THEY ARE?"

"Of course I do. They've been staying at my place." I was about to shout at her for what she might have been insinuating, but she shut me up in no time flat. "Don't get your knickers in a twist Venny-boy. They're fine. They're well taken care of. And they're perfectly safe. The worst thing you have to worry about is me ticking off Amy."

"YOU DID WHAT?"

"Oh don't be like that. I may have a dark sense of humor but I'm not sadistic. I like seeing people like her angry not hurt. It's rather funny when you get down to it." I glared at her. Partly because I was furious but mostly because she was an impossible person. I didn't know that someone who got Amy mad could survive her wrath. "Something tells me you aren't planning on trusting me. And that's quite fine. I don't really care. And you don't even have to trust me, after all, either way, I'm in this." She showed me her medallion, which was pulsating with a firey glow. "Can't exactly take this back can you?"

I clenched my teeth. That was another thing altogether. The medallions. I had no idea how in the world they had activated. I mean, Axel had wings sure, but it wasn't like he was a legendary bird or anything. And from what Lucan had told me, the only way those things would work was if a true-blooded legendary bird activated them. Someone was going to need to explain this to me. Especially the part about Lucan using a medallion. I thought they only worked on humans.

Speaking of Lucan, he looked pretty proud of himself for helping out in the battle. He wore his lightning yellow medallion around his neck, and I gotta admit, he had a right to be proud. He'd accepted this mission to find me thinking he wouldn't have to get his hands dirty with the fighting. In my opinion, he'd already gone beyond the call of duty. He'd changed his species to help me after all. And believe me, I know how rough that can be on a person's psyche.

"Hey Ven?" Lucan said to me as I pondered all this. I looked down at my faithful friend who, to my surprise, almost looked in tears as he stared back up at me. "I really missed 'ya."

I blinked at him. He was serious. Odd, since we'd only really known each other for a few days. And most of that time was spent fighting deadly monsters. But I had to admit, I missed this little guy. I smiled and scratched him behind the ears, making my hair stand on end when he started exerting static electricity.

"Missed you too Lucan."

"Hey, I knew it!" Lucan exclaimed. "You can hear me now!"

"Oh. Yeah, guess I can." I yawned. I would've been more enthusiastic, but at that time, I was just way too exhausted. What with the lack of sleep, the fighting and y'know...getting shot. My head was drooping every few seconds. I didn't trust this Vanessa, so I didn't want to fall asleep, based on the odds of what she might do to me. But Lucan gave me a poke and I looked down at him again.

"You sleepy Ven?" I nodded. "It's okay. Take a nap. If she does anything, I'll make sure to wake you up."

"Thanks." I hardly had time to even say that before my head hit the seat and I shut my eyes. Sleep was immediate. Dreamless and restful sleep that went on for who knows how long. My brain shut down for the next few hours, just regaining as much of my strength as I could. It was a weird sort of sleep. The kind you don't really register when you wake up. The kind of sleep you realize is happening but don't really care about because you're way too tired. I nodded off, the helicopter and the rest of the world below disappearing around me as I rested.

"Yo Ven! Rise and shine!" And all too soon, I was brought to my senses by Axel's loud voice. My head ached as I opened my eyes, grogginess filling my system. Axel was shaking me by the shoulder making it hard for me to focus on my surroundings. When he finally stopped shaking me roughly, I realized that I couldn't even be sure it was him. After, all, it was too dark in the chopper itself to see anything besides the silhouettes of the others and the blinking controls in front of the pilot's seat. Once I'd rubbed the sleep out of my eyes with my now feathered fingers, I saw just how long I'd been snoozing for. The stars had already come out to play. The moon was either above us or not there at all, since I couldn't see it hanging in the sky. But I don't think we'd need it for illumination tonight. My eyes were drawn to the earth as I witnessed the spectacle that was our current location.

Neon lights flashed so bright into my eyes I had to squint to avoid being blinded. Lights from signs, buildings and cars all moved in their intricate dances below. But my attention was focused solely on the buildings themselves. A euphoria of colours met my eyes as I stared at them. Patterns of hot and cool colours interacting and interchanging hit my retinas like freight trains. Fountains of water exploded all around us, making the lights even more difficult to risk. I couldn't believe it, I knew where we were. I'd never been there, but it didn't take a geography nut to figure out.

"Las...Vegas?"

"Yeah." Axel told me with a pat on the shoulder. "You and Vanessa are more alike than you think. More to both of you than meets the eye."

"You too."

"Huh? No way. With me, what you see is what you get."

_Yeah, this coming from the man who's hiding wings on his back. _I thought as I glared in Axel's direction, thankful for the darkness that covered this fact up. I was creeped out as it was that I could only see the glint that game off Axel's glasses in the shadows. Seriously, you had to try to be that mysterious.

"So what do you mean by 'more to her'?" I asked, trying to get Axel to spill at least some of the beans.

"Why don't you tell him Vanessa?" Silence from the front seat. Guess the one thing she didn't like talking about just so happened to be herself. Axel shrugged. "Oh well. Thought I could get away without answering any questions. Vanessa here's got money. Lots of it. She's a thief sure, but you wanna know her cover story?"

"Uh...I guess." I swallowed hard. Why did I get the feeling this explanation might end in the words 'ties to the mafia'?

"Relax would 'ya? Thieving's her hobby. Just a way of adding to her collection. The real money is made in the casino."

"You're kidding." I groaned and sneered at the back of Vanessa's seat. "You own a casino too?"

"Well, technically it's not hers, it's her-"

"That's enough!" Vanessa screeched, making me jump back in my seat. Yikes, when she got mad, she got mad. I was having flashbacks to those moments I was on the opposite end of Amy's anger. Not a fun position. "If you're going to tell him my life's story at least let me do it."

"Heh. Sure." I got the feeling that he only said that so he wouldn't have to answer the question further.

"You're unbearable. You know that?"

"I do accel at being a pest, yes."

"Fine. The casino belongs to my parents...I suppose."

"What do you mean by-?" I was about to ask before being instantly interrupted.

"Why don't you just read my mind? You can do that if you want, right?"

"Believe it or not, I don't actually enjoy invading the privacy of others' minds. Unless I despise them that is."

"Well, I guess that makes you more of a gentleman than someone I know." I saw Axel's silhouette shrug. "Let's just say...the folks don't exactly stick around, get me?"

"Yeah. I gotcha."

"Good. I won't have to snap your neck then." Why do I feel so scared around women these days? "We're landing. Get ready."

_Get ready for what? _I thought. Looking down, I saw just how stupid a question this was. Out of all the shining beacons of casinos below, the one we were nearing was the most oddly shaped. And getting a birds-eye view of the place was the only way I could possibly notice it. Looking at it from above, I could see that the building, alit with red lights, no wait, blue ones, I don't know they kept changing. Anyway, the building itself looked to be constructed to twist and curve until it resembled a gigantic letter 'G'.

"Um, not to be a bother but, I thought, from your last name, you were-"

"I come from a French family." Vanessa answered the unfinished question with a great amount of distaste. "My parents, are not."

"Huh?" I had to wonder what that meant. Luckily, she was there to grumpily answer.

"Adopted."

"Oh...I..."

"It's fine. You didn't know." That would be alright, if her voice didn't have venom spiked all over it. "You speak no more of this, hear me?"

"Loud and clear."

"Hm. I must admit, you're much easier to work with than this other silver-haired man I know." I simply couldn't ponder why she didn't just cut to the chase and call Axel by his name. In any case, I wouldn't have to deal with it much longer. We had touched down on the helipad of the roof, near the top point of the 'G'. I felt the rumbling of the helicopter die down as the sound of the chopping blades ceased along with it. It was relieving to be on the ground again, but I'd hardly breathed a sigh before my seatbelt unstrapped, seemingly by itself. It took me second before I realized that it must've been Lucan who clicked the button, since I could feel his tiny paws climbing up my form until he was on my shoulder.

"Come on Ven. Move. We get to see Amy and Jet!"

My eyes opened up wide. I nearly forgot. I opened the side door of the helicopter, leaping out and landing in the cold and windy night. The chill hit me in the face like a bullet, but my mid-section on the other hand was rather warm. I wondered why only to facepalm and remember I had feathers there now, no matter how good my illusion was.

"YOU!" I screamed at Vanessa as she slid out of the chopper. "WHERE ARE THEY?"

"Chill out, alright? I told you, they're fine. The plan was to tranq you, get you to your new 'home' so to speak, and have them convince you to stay there. I'll admit, it's not the best plan in the world, but hey, you thought it would work, didn't you Axel?"

"In my defense, I planned on double crossing you." Axel replied as he came around the other side of our transportation, a wide-toothed grin plastered across his visage. "No hard feelings?"

"None at all. I think I get your position." She'd have to fill me in on that. In the meantime, I was busy being furious. I stomped my way over to the only plausible way down. A small metal door just away from the helipad that obviously led to a staircase. "And where do you think you're going? You're going to need a key for that-!"

The lock was audibly forced to unlock, as if by magic. I hadn't touched it, not with my hands at least. Anger was a good way to get some adrenaline into your brain because my telekenisis was working in overdrive. That lock was like a dust bunny in my path. I tore open the door, seeing a dark stairwell right away. I closed my eyes and focused my mind. I spread my thoughts into the building, searching every closet, bathroom, casino floor, hotel room or otherwise. Only two things were on my mind. The thoughts of both Amy and Jet. I had to search through the rough to get to the diamonds, but eventually, I found them. Two floors down, fifth door on the left. That was where they were.

I opened my eyes up wide and dashed down the stairwell. I lost my footing once or twice, but I wouldn't stop. I shuffled my feet as fast as I could down every step, eventually saying 'screw it' in my mind and just jumped down every flight of stairs. My legs nearly buckled every time but I didn't care. The dimly lit grey walls took most of my focus anyway. Since they had the black numbers painted on them beside every metallic door. I could hear Vanessa shouting after me and I felt Lucan trying to hold onto my shoulder with a poor grip. But I wouldn't stop, not until I gazed upon the glorious number six. My brow furrowed and I opened the door up wide and zipped into the soft-carpeted hallway. And almost immediately, I thought about how Vanessa's outfit would really clash with this place. It was all red. The doors, the carpet, even the lights had a tint of red. But I shook the thought off. I had more important things to worry about. Like walking past four doors on my left only to bang loudly on the fifth. I was ready to punch out any guards who might've appeared. I was ready to tear anyone who was holding Amy in there apart...oh and Jet too. I heard footsteps moving towards the door, perfect. I was about to let whatever repugnant despicable thug that-

Amy opened the door.

My heart stopped. She was right there, reflecting my blinking face back at me. And for the moment, all we could do was stand there, staring at each other with those wide-eyed expressions. I couldn't believe it. All that time and she was right here, safe and sound. And even after all that time, I still found nothing to say to her. And thankfully, I didn't have to.

"Zack!" Amy leaped at me, and for a moment I thought my face was going to be bashed in. But instead, she wrapped her arms around me in a hug. I smiled and returned the embrace as best I could.

"All that time, and you still can't learn my name, eh?" I said jokingly with a shaky voice, like the kind a person used when they were about to cry. Amy gave me a gentle punch in the belly, which was softened even more thanks to my new blubber.

"Shut up you jerk!" She said with the same squeaky voice before making the hug even tighter. And it stayed that way for a long time. No words spoken. And really, what would we say? I had no idea what had happened to her and she was incapable of knowing what became of me. I did miss her, don't think I didn't. But, no matter how hard I tried to speak up, no words came out.

"Alright love birds." I heard Axel's gruff voice before a shove was given to my back. I let go of Amy and turned around with a sneer. Axel simply smiled with crossed arms, looking as cocky as ever. "May I come in?"

"Hey it's you!" Amy screeched as she pointed at Axel. "What's-your-face!"

"Hmph. I told you not to forget my name...I don't like you anymore." Axel shuffled around the two of us, walking into the room with a raised nose and furrowed brow. I would never understand his thinking process.

"Don't be too hurt now Amy." Vanessa's slithery voice found its way into my ear. I would've turned around but Amy did that for me by grabbing my arm and stepping out of the door, bringing me along with her to face Vanessa.

"YOU! I'M GONNA KILL YOU ROTTEN FILTHY BI-!"

"Calm yourself, would you? If you need reassurances take a look at this." Vanessa held up the medallion and Amy quickly shut up. Only to snarl at her once again.

"AND WHERE DID YOU GET THAT? ZACK DID YOU CHOOSE HER?"

"What? No! I didn't even find that medallion, let alone activate it!" I responded quickly so as not to anger her wrath further. Not that I thought it could get worse what with hot air emitting from her very form.

"THEN WHO DID?"

"Him! Axel! Over there!" Amy turned around, which gave me a considerable amount of relief. She walked into the hotel room, which, looked absolutely...mediocre. Two beds, brown quilts, plasma TV, side tables, curtains, y'know, the usual story. But the main draw of attention, by far, were the two balding men in black suits that were currently on the floor. One look at their bruised faces told me all I needed to know. Amy had been working on her uppercut.

"It is so hard to find good help these days." Vanessa said the cliche just before snapping her fingers. Almost instantly, two more muscled men with thinning hair and wearing suits burst into the room. Vanessa pointed to the two thugs, and in seconds, they were dragging the two out. Vanessa shut the door behind them, finally taking notice of the fact that Jet was cowering in the corner, completely aghast. I was still standing like a doofus near the door and as for Amy, she was busy giving Axel the death stare. Axel himself had taken a can of orange crush from the mini fridge and was glugging it down while sitting on the bed. "Now, I know how much you hate questions Axel. Which is why I'm going to ask a few."

"Right. First things first." Axel responded before chugging more orange soda. "Sit down. This'll be a long one. What's your problem Amy?" He referred to how Amy was still giving off an aura that would make me cringe in fear. But it just made him stare at her, puzzled. She kept her eyes on him even as she sat down on the bed next to him.

"V-Ventus. I-I-" Jet started to come out of the corner, albeit he was shaking like a madman, but he was moving at least. I nodded at Jet who reluctantly sat beside Amy, and looked perfectly prepared to dodge any fists that might come his way. Or maybe just protect his face. I took a seat in a wooden chair near the TV while Vanessa simply leaned up against the wall.

"Sooooooo. What's first? Keep in mind I won't tell you anything I can't." Axel said, taking another sip.

"What do you mean by 'something you can't'?" I asked with an arched eyebrow.

"Oh that. Well, no point in keeping it secret. I'm from your future."

"You've lost me."

"Time travel, mate. It's a fickle thing. Sometimes you meet the way you're supposed to, with everyone knowing each other for the first time, maybe rewrite history a little, it's all good fun in the end, honest."

"...What the hell are you talking about?"

"Okay, I've said this before and I'll say it in small, slow words. I. Am. A. Time. Traveller."

"Impossible!" Every person in the room apart from Jet and Lucan shouted that. Other worlds was one thing. But time travel? Even I had trouble believing that.

"Oh no no. It's not. Don't believe me? Hey Ven." I blinked at him. "Now let's see. You gave me one word to get you to trust me. What was it now? Ah yes. Luna."

"Wha-?" No way. He couldn't have known that name. There was no way. No one knew that name. And no one especially knew how it was related to me. I hadn't told that name to anyone, not even Amy. And I'm pretty sure Lucan didn't know it. And...Axel...there was no way he was from this world. He couldn't have known that name from before this whole journey began. In fact, there was only one plausible way he could've known it. Plausible but not possible. All the same, my eyes widened and my face gaped slightly. Everyone else was confused as to what was going on in my head, but I didn't care. That name. I wouldn't tell it to just anyone. I gulped, and said what I had to. "I...I trust you."

"Good. Good. Now that we're all clear on that-"

"I'm not!" Amy screamed. "I don't know what that was!"

"Well, as long as Ventus is clear on it, I don't really care. So, question one probably is, who in the hell am I?"

"Yeah." I replied. "That's what I can't figure out."

"Like I always say. My name is Axel Igaul. But what I don't always say is what's...hidden." I felt the telepathic energy surrounding Axel vanished, and to Amy and Jet's surprise, his wings and feathers on his arms reappeared, open to all viewing eyes. Amy gasped and Jet...uh...he fainted. It was only for a few seconds before his head hit the floor and he snapped back up, but he did faint. Axel took a deep breath and exhaled before speaking again. "This...is the real me. My name, Axel Igaul. And I'm a hybrid."

"A...A...hybrid of what?" Amy asked, still staring at the familiar shining silver feathers.

"Isn't it obvious? If not, take my last name and rearrange the letters."

"What? I-G-A-U-L? I don't-" Amy shut her mouth when realization smoothly came across her face. Axel nodded.

"I don't think I have to tell you I'm not from this world. My technology should atest to that. What with the pokeballs and the...Excuse me are my wings bothering you?"

"'Eh? What? Sorry?" Amy had been staring at the wings the whole time. Axel's brow furrowed again and did what I consider to be impossible. His shirt had two holes in the back through which the wings could escape. But with unbelievable flexibility, I witnessed those two wings fold into the opposite opening of the shirt. The wings kept up their journey beneath Axel's clothes, obviously coiling around his body. Wow, those wings were flexible. They kept it up until they were completely hidden beneath the garment. Well, at least I finally learned how he kept them hidden that whole time. And he only wore the long sleeve shirt to hide his forearms. It made sense, to a degree.

"There. Better?" Amy grinned awkwardly. "Unlike you though Ventus, this isn't exactly a natural occurance. I'm not really this...adorned. Wasn't born this way."

"Well...I mean...how can...?" I was just stuttering now. This didn't even begin to make any sense.

"Take a look." Axel suddenly bowed his head and I was left to blink at him. I didn't understand what he wanted me to do. "What? Waiting for an invitation?"

"You...want me to look at your head?"

"No dummy, I want you to look at the roots."

"The roots?"

"Amy, look at my roots please." Amy immediately jumped up and began spreading Axel's hairs apart with her fingers. The moment she stopped however, she didn't seem taken aback or mystified. She simply shrugged.

"So what? Your hair's silver and your roots are brown." She said as she sat herself back down and Axel gave a smile.

"Yeah. But I didn't dye it. But the hair colour ain't natural either. It's a side effect of the DNA experiments I went through."

"What? DNA experiments?" I spoke up again.

"Yeah. I'm not from your world y'see. In fact, the mere fact we meet in the future is a miracle seeing as how I'm not even from your world Ventus. I'm from a third."

"A third world? Then how exactly do we meet?"

"Can't tell you that. It's a time travel thing. You'll know when you do it. It's already happened to me, so if I was telling someone who the meeting didn't concern it would be alright. But I can't very well tell you much about your future, can I? I've already broken one or two rules by telling you that we meet at all."

"Why is that? There are rules to time travel?"

"Absolutely! I can't just go flitting about in the past. I could make it so people never existed! How horrible would that be? Plus there are the time paradoxes, and those just screw everything over. It doesn't work like Back to the Future. You can't just change what you want. The only reason I even involved myself in time travel is because you tell me to. And look, I just broke the rules again by telling you that. And believe me, if I could change what I wanted, I would've done it a long time ago. For example, I wouldn't have these God-forsaken wings."

"What? You hate your wings?"

"Who said that? Not me. All I would have to do to change the past would be to go back and change it. But I can't. I can only make events happen as they did. And make sure that they did. Look at it this way, the next time you meet me, you'll have to explain this to me. And while I may not enjoy answering questions, I just love asking them. So please, when you do, bear with me."

"But if you're telling the truth-"

"Luna."

"Okay! Since you _are _telling the truth, and you are a time traveler, don't you already know how I act when we meet."

"I do. But if I tell you, you may try to act different. And then you'll just end up doing what you were supposed to do. And then who will you blame for tricking you and deciding your fate for you? Me. Like I said, time travel's a fickle thing. If you're not sure what you're doing, you could tick Fate off a smidgeon. And she might roll the dice against you. So just trust me, when it comes to time travel, I'm the only expert here. I've only done it twice including this little jump, but it's more experience than you have. Of course, time travel itself is weird. Take a note from me, never do it when you're between worlds. Not only could you end up years from your target, but you get crazy whip-lash."

"Why's that?"

"Well, usually you land in a really awkward position and-"

"No not the whip-lash, the time traveling between worlds."

"Oh. Thought you knew. The portals between each individual universe aren't just a distortion of space, but of time as well. Sometimes, time moves faster in one universe than it does another. And sometimes it's slower. The distortions mix it up a little. In fact when I left from your original world, Ventus, to this one, I intended to catch you just as you were leaving Amy's place and guide you from there. But I jumped in the portal while time was moving faster here, so I was a little off You'd already gotten to Jet's island. So with no other choice, I contacted Vanessa here. Obviously, when she picked up the phone, she didn't like the idea of someone calling her on her private line so I assumed she had no knowledge of me or you Ventus. So I arranged the deal. The deal about finding you Ventus through the use of Vanessa's resources. If the plan went off without a hitch, I would tell Vanessa everything once I broke you out of the lab. Mostly through what I call...compressed explanation."

"Compressed explanation?"

"It's what I call my process of downloading large histories, stories, and events directly into a person's head. For example, when my plan to double cross Vanessa went awry, I had to give her your life's adventures."

"Which I still don't appreciate, by the way." Vanessa said, flipping her bangs. "I'd prefer it if people told me when my brain was about to be invaded. And I suppose you're going to tell me that, for some ridiculous reason, I give you my phone number in the future?"

"And people think you're a dumb spoiled rich kid? Dang, you must be some actress!"

"Why thank you."

"Oh no, don't be modest now."

"Ah-hem!" I shouted just so those two would stop flirting already. They were made for each other if you ask me.

"Oh. Right. My bad. Back on the island, when Lucan told me you were taken away by helicopters, I knew just what it was, and I prepared for it by telling Vanessa all I know about the P.C.S."

"Yeah, by the way, where was that lab?"

"The last place you'd ever check. Phoenix Arizona!"

"You're kidding...right?"

"Nope. What? You'd never look there for a secret lab. Anyway, that's the story of my exploits in this world. If you need more, you'll just have to fill in those holes. 'Cause I ain't telling."

"But you haven't even answered my first question! Who are you?"

"Oh you'll find out. Trust me. It's the best part of the whole time travel thing. I'll just leave that explanation to my past self. Or should I call it my future self? I dunno, whose perspective are we talking from?"

"Okay. So I think I got all we'll get out of you concerning yourself."

"Correct."

"Okay. Then what is 'it'?"

"What is what?"

"'It'. Whatever you called the thing that transformed that sadist into Entei."

"Entei? What? Lab? I don't know what's going on!" Amy screeched in frustration. I was about to open my mouth to tell her what happened, but then the oddest thing happened. Suddenly she clutched her forehead, as if she had a migraine. It would've been odd enough, but to make it even worse, Jet was doing the same thing. They were clutching their foreheads with shaking fingers and before I could even check to make sure they were okay, they stopped. They blinked their eyes open and then Amy looked at me with something in her eyes. I recognized it. Pity. I grimaced and looked at Axel. I knew it. He just showed them everything. Everything that had gone on in the lab. My face went red as Amy got up and walked towards me. I couldn't look her in the eye. Not if she was going to look at me with those pitying eyes.

"Show me." I gulped. I knew what she meant. My face felt hot. I wouldn't let down my psychic illusion. Staring at my shoes felt like a better idea. She touched my shoulder. "Just show me. Please show me."

"I...no..." My hands were shaking. I still felt her gaze on the top of my head. I didn't risk even looking up. I didn't want her to see me any different. I knew it was pointless. Axel had already shown her everything. But still. It just tortured me. I couldn't take her staring.

"Amy." Axel (thankfully) piped up. "This is tough enough for him. Believe me, I know what it's like to have your body shift and change around you. It ain't easy. Especially when you're caught in the middle of the two things you know you are inside. Just drop it Amy. You know what happened, so just leave it." For a moment there was silence. Then I heard Amy's footsteps slowly walk away from me. I exhaled in relief. I looked back at Axel and gave him a nod of gratitude. "Now then. I believe you wanted to know what 'it' was?"

"Yeah. That darkness. And the voice. It...It's..."

"Something tells me you've already figured it out."

"Figured what out?" Vanessa asked since neither me nor Axel was telling yet.

"Yeah, what is it?" Amy questioned.

"Huh? What's going on?" Lucan and Jet said in unison.

"'It'. It's the thing...that took Ventus." Axel explained while adjusting his glasses. I still couldn't see his eyes. He must position himself just right, wherever he is, just so the light is reflected perfectly. That's the only explanation I can think of.

"What do you mean, it took Ventus?" Vanessa scoffed. Until, that is, she opened her eyes up wide in realization. If Axel had showed her everything about my past, she would've seen...that...as well.

"You getting it? Good. 'It' is the thing that took Ventus from his home all those years ago." Eyes widened and jaws dropped. That darkness. The same that transformed Entei and whispered in my telepathic ears with that cold unfeeling voice. It was that shadow. The very same shadow that kidnapped me and brought me to this world. "Unfortunately...I can't tell you what 'it' exactly is."

"WHAT?" I yelled in his face and stood up. Fury rushed into my mind and the redness in my face was now boiling. "THIS ISN'T A GAME YOU KNOW! THAT THING'S TRYING TO KILL ME!"

"Why don't you calm down so I can actually explain it! I can't tell you what it is, because I don't actually know what it is! It never tells."

"Wh-what?""

"I don't know. That...shadow. It never does tell what it is. Or at least...as far as I know it doesn't."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Eh...Nothing. Future matter, can't tell you. Though, I did find something strange."

"What?"

"As I was getting you out of that cage, I did a little digging in the P.C.S. computer files. And...I found something regarding that shadow."

"Really? WHAT?"

"It's not much but...there was an incident here...in this world. Thirteen years ago."

"Th-Thirteen? That's when-"

"Yeah. You're thirteen, aren't you? Strange little coincidence, ain't it? The P.C.S. tried to cover it up. And they did a good job. Almost everyone involved is either out of the country or...they disappeared."

"You can't mean-"

"Please. The P.C.S. is just a bunch of nerds. They're able to deport people through blackmail or coercion, but they can't just make them go missing. The incident, I didn't have time to find the details. But what I do know is this. It involved someone like you Ven."

"Someone like me?"

"A person...who became a pokemon."

"What? How do you know that?"

"This picture." Axel dug around in his pockets and revealed a small piece of folded paper. He unfurled it and handed it to me, blank side up. I took it in my hands and turned it over, seeing on the picture he appeared to be talking about. It was weird. it was just a silhouette against a bright light. The shadow depicted a small creature. There was no visible scale so I wasn't sure how tall this was supposed to be. Its body shape was lithe and skinny. There were two small arms that didn't even look like they'd reach the creature's own head. Speaking of the head, it was very round, with two points that I assumed were ears. Funny, the head was almost cat-like. Its feet were once again, large and rounded. And last but not least, the tail. It didn't even look possible. The tail must've been extremely flexible, because it was curved and in the air. It was very thin, almost like a whip.

"I recognize that pokemon." Axel continued. "In fact, I'm good friends with one of them from my world. It's a Mew. Now, that picture was taken thirteen years during the incident. It was taken after the battle."

"Battle? What battle?"

"The battle between that Mew. And the shadow that took you. Obviously, the shadow's origins go to back then, but I don't know the full story. I was interrupted and had to trash their computers. That pic's all I got. But the shadow, it's got some kind of plot. And I'm sorry, but I don't know what that is either. But it's using humans and transforming them into his pokemon puppets to do it."

"That's another thing altogether! I need to know! What are these things that keep attacking me? What are those...darklings?"

"Ah yes, the darklings. Those things that come out of the sky when it goes dark. Or sometimes in the sea. Well, even though this is part of the future, I do actually need to tell you, so here goes. The darklings...those dark birds...that dark dragon...and those sharks. They're not what you think. They're not minions or monsters, they're extensions. Extensions of the shadow itself. They pretend to be sentient, but they're really the darkness. And they were the primitive forms of the shadow's attack."

"Primitive forms?"

"Y'see that shadow, is all about imitation. Or at least it is in my theory. If I'm right, then the shadow is able to copy things, organisms, down to their very abilities. But there was a problem. The shadow wasn't strong enough to fully replicate things and give them the powers of darkness that it has without deforming them."

"What are you-?"

"Take the birds for example. They looked like a certain kind of bird from this world, didn't they?"

"Yeah. Now that you mention it, they kind of looked like...giant hawks...or something."

"I see. And the dragon...if I got my mythology right, then it was an Eastern one wasn't it? And the sharks? Tiger sharks, right? Y'see, the shadow can observe worlds, see creatures and places. The problem is, it tries to recreate them. My guess, it does a good job until it imbues its creations with its own soul and powers. Then they just turn into monstrosities."

"How do you know all this?"

"Future matter. Can't tell you. You'll find out, don't worry. Just trust me on this. And as for Entei and Suicune, well, they were humans, correct?"

"Yeah. Entei's in your...device now. And Suicune...she was...Jet's mom."

"Suicune. She became human again, right?"

"Uh...yeah. How do you know?"

"You tell me in the future. Now, do you remember exactly what it was that made her human?"

"I know that." Jet spoke up for the first time in a while. In a second, all eyes were on him. And he didn't like that. He pulled back and I heard him swallow hard before he answered. "Um...I remember it pretty well. She...She transformed after Ventus used that...that...soul surgence on her."

"Uh...you mean the Surge of Soul?" I asked, wondering how he didn't seem to remember the attack that had saved his mother's life.

"OF COURSE!" I nearly jumped out of my chair. Axel had shouted like a madman and was suddenly laughing his head off. "That's it! That's what you guys wouldn't tell me! The Surge of Soul!"

"Do you know what the Surge of Soul is? I...I've kinda been using it without knowing."

"I'd be happy to explain that one! And that doesn't happen often! You're lucky I deduced this for myself or I might not be so enthusiastic." Gee, what a saint. "The Surge of Soul is a release of every bit of positive energy in your soul. It's an ability that only the Lugia from your world can do. The Surge of Soul takes every positive thought, memory, action and the user launches that positive energy as a weapon. However, it only works against those with dark thoughts and intentions. The fact that it turned Suicune back to her human form is only natural."

"Natural?"

"Of course. Obviously Suicune was once a human with light and good intentions in her heart. So the Surge of Soul reached out to that light. And brought it forth to bring away the darkness! Ha!"

"Well, I guess that makes sense, but how did the shadow do all this? I thought it just replicated beings, it can't turn people into pokemon...can it?"

"I said it replicates. I didn't bring the limit to just doing it from scratch. My theory: The shadow can replicate a pokemon's form _around _another's mind and soul. Y'see, the creatures it replicated before, the darklings, were distorted because the shadow extended its own essence into them. But by using a human, whose soul is less dark, the body is less distorted and the powers of the shadow are more easily assimilated without the mind coming with it. It's not the shadow's power that turned those darklings into what they are. It was the shadow's mind itself. It was all the darkness the replicated body would need to deform. If it used another person's mind, the form wouldn't morph. Ergo, how it got legendary beasts to work for it. But there was a problem. It wanted a soul that wasn't too full of darkness so that it wouldn't deform. But that plan didn't work since a couple Surges of Soul from you brought her back to human form and banished the shadow's darkness completely. Her light was too strong. So it took a different approach, turning a man with ice in his veins into a legendary beast. In other words, that scientist who became Entei. However this time, he chose a person with _too _much darkness within their soul. But instead of disrupting the body, it disrupted the mind, making him act on his primal instincts. Ironic, considering he forced you to act on yours back when you were a test subject Ventus."

"HOW IN THE HELL DID YOU KNOW THAT?"

"Oops. Tongue slipped."

"So you know huh? Then let that guy out of that stupid ball so I can give him a Surge of Soul and have him locked up!"

"It won't work. Surge of Soul only worked on Jet's mom because she had a lot of light in her. Plenty of light. Enough to break free of her prison of darkness when your soul reached out to hers. Entei has too much darkness to reach his light. Besides, I've got a feeling his mind's too distorted already. My guess is that even if his body changed, his mind wouldn't. The shadow gave its power to those two for a reason. Not only was it used to give Entei that dark fire power, it used it to control their actions and thinking process. The only way to cut that influence off, is to soften up their dark feelings. That's why I caught him in this." Axel held up the ball that he had thrown at Entei and captured him in. I tried to snatch it from his hand, but he was too quick for me. I clenched my teeth as he continued the explanation.

"What is it?" Amy asked, sporadically interested for some reason.

"A luxury ball. This is designed for aggressive ones like Entei. It's built to be one hundred percent comfortable. So comfortable in fact, that it naturally makes the pokemon within forget it ever had dark motives. Give a pokemon a couple hours in this, and they'll be a regular teddy bear in no time. Especially one that thinks like Entei does. Next time I release Entei, I bet he'll be outside of that shadow's control. Think I'll take him to my world, give him a new life there."

"BUT-! HE-!"

"I know Ventus. You hate him, and I can understand that. He was absolutely sadistic...and no one should get away with that. But what you have to understand is that his mind and body were changed against his will. i bet he was put through as much pain as you, just in the matter of seconds. Plus a little extra. I'm not even sure he's the same person after all that morphing his mind went through. I'm not asking you to feel sorry for him, but I am asking you to let your grudge go. The past may be hard to forget this, but that's what it is. The past."

I made a furious face. I didn't want to just let it go. For who knows how long, that man tortured me. He drugged me, he electrocuted me, he took my blood just to make me feel weak. He loved it when I felt pain. And I know I loved it back when he was feeling pain. I couldn't stand it knowing he'd just be let off the hook like that. My fists were shaking in rage, and I couldn't contain the explosion currently going off in my lungs. I could only breathe through my teeth and stare at that 'luxury ball' with the exclusive desire to rip open that thing and unleash Surge of Soul on the creature inside. I wasn't gonna kill him...I just wanted to see him get what was coming to him.

But on the other hand...he already had. Axel was right, I couldn't deny that. His mind and body had been warped and changed, and unlike me, he probably wouldn't have been happy with it, had he not lost his sanity. And as much as I was loathe to admit it, I too knew how frightening it was to find yourself in a new form altogether. I had no choice. I gave Axel a slow and cringing nod.

"Good. Now that that's settled, I'll bring up the next issue you're sure to question about. Lucan. Over there."

"Me? What's wrong with me?" Lucan asked as he pointed to himself, blinking.

"Well, I am kinda confused as to how you became Zapdos." I explained. "I mean, aren't those meant to only work with humans."

"If your parents wanted to help you." Axel paused. "By sending the medallions to this world, do you think they'd put limitations on their power? Naw. As long as a legendary bird activated them, the medallions can work for humans or pokemon. It doesn't matter. And the person who activated the remaining two was yours truly. After all, it doesn't need to be you who activates them. As long as the one who activates them has true legendary feathers, those things'll work. So naturally, I chose the one I trusted the most. Lucan."

"You trust _him _the most?" Jet, Amy and Vanessa exclaimed in unison. Lucan sneered at them and crossed his arms, not that anyone cared how displeased he was with that remark.

"Yeah. Duh. You think I'd trust any ordinary human with this sort of thing? Bah. Only reason I gave the fire medallion to Vanessa here is because I meet her in the future...or past if you're me, and she has it."

"What do you mean by that?" I asked with a suspicion that I already knew the answer.

"Oh. Thought you figured it out. I hate humanity. Hate it sooooo much. Not to the point of killing anyone, mind you. The kind of hatred you feel to an annoying little kid who won't be quiet on a plane. Ironically enough, I don't mind kids. They're the only kind of human with any imagination." He took a few glances at the gaping faces around him. They all couldn't believe what they just heard. And I was part of that. He was saying these terrible things with the most monotoned of voices. And he looked completely clueless too. He was blinking at us like this was obvious. "What?"

"You're...absolutely insane!" Vanessa screamed, clenching her teeth and shaking her fists madly at him. I myself was aghast. This just came out of nowhere. He never showed any indication of this.

"Of course. Who'd want to be sane? Reality's boring." Okay that cemented it. He was enjoying this. He just loved playing with peoples heads. It must've been a sport for him. "Only two questions left to answer, right? Number one. How did I travel between the worlds if the portals aren't strong enough?"

"Uh...yeah." I guessed this fact that he despised humanity would just be one of those 'future events' he spoke of. After all, I could think of no other reason he'd assume we knew that.

"Ah y'see...that...is my little secret."

"Of course it is." I said sarcastically before yawning.

"Smart alec. Last question. How did Kenya here..." Axel held up another 'pokeball' as he paused. "...not get affected by that dark fire."

"Yes. I did find that a little strange. It was too powerful for us, so I wondered."

"This is a future matter, so I shouldn't really tell you this. But...you do end up teaching me a lesson. A lesson, I knew I could put through successfully."

"And what's that." Axel laughed heartily. Like a jolly man, about to swig a beer. I was confused, it was like this next speech was all in good fun.

"You taught me that we all protect someone in life. And if we don't...we're truly evil. And if you want to protect someone. With your heart. And your soul. If you're willing to put yourself on the line for someone, no darkness can touch you. And no shadow will overcome you."

"...Uhhhh." This was awkward. No one said anything that cheesy without a reason. Trust me, I know. And Axel was a guy who hated answering questions. And he just answered one I hadn't even asked yet. Definitely a reason for that. Vanessa was right. His smug grin definitely hid something. If you take one lesson from this, let it be this. Never let anyone fool you with a first impression. He was cocky alright. But I couldn't help but feel that it was for the oddest of reasons. And the whole 'hatred towards humanity' thing might have had something to do with that.

"And that's all the dame requested, I'm afraid." Axel stood up. "It was lovely to see you all again. And I'm sure you'll enjoy seeing me again. Everyone always does. I'll be outta here."

"WHAT? But aren't you supposed to help me get home? Wasn't that the whole point of your mission here?" I had already stood up. After all, I couldn't just let him go. He was able to head between worlds. This might've been my one shot. Hell, I didn't know how to use these medallions. How could I? He was my only guide to get back home. But all he did, I repeat, all he did, was shake his head and chuckle. Sometimes I hate my friends.

"Hey it's your own fault. You're the one who tells me to catch Entei, explain what you can, and get your butt out of there. I believe those will be your exact words."

"No...wait...Why would I-?" I was cut off by Axel digging into his pockets again and pulling out another piece of paper. He unfurled this one as well and read it out right away.

"And no matter how much I moan, no matter how much I try to convince you otherwise, it's imperative that you leave without me." He put the paper down for a second and looked at me with the same grin. "Then I ask you why, and you tell me, just trust me. Future events and all that. You'll see why, trust me. Those were your exact words. Which means you'll see why when you tell me this. Don't worry. You'll understand. After all, why would you tell me this otherwise? Time for me to go. After all, if I spend anymore time in the past, I might be tempted to-"

The sound of shattering glass shattered Axel's chances at finishing his sentence as well. The shockwave from the immense impact of whatever crashed into the window hit us like a brick wall. Our bodies immediately reacted and turned us toward the uninvited guest making a house call. Amy and Jet pulled back a bit when they saw what they did, but Axel, Vanessa and I kept our cool. Axel had definitely seen this thing before. Nothing could really surprise me or Lucan anymore. And Vanessa was...still Vanessa.

A small creature spinning on its head had smashed its way in. And when it stopped, I thought I was looking at a cartoon. It looked...almost like a top. But I knew better. This was a pokemon. And guess who ordered it to come in uninvited. Well, two grappling hooks held the answer, as two of the biggest weirdos I've ever seen, climbed through the shattered looking glass.

"Prepare for trouble like you've never seen!"

"And make it double, we're tired of this world's scene!"

"To infect the world with devastation!"

"To blight all peoples in every nation!"

"Oh good, I was just about to look for you two." Axel interrupted Butch and Cassidy while they glared at him for stopping their little mantra. Axel cracked his knuckles and shuffled around in his infinitely deep pockets. "While I'm looking for this thing, why don't you two tell me how you tracked us down?"

"You're not the only one with a helicopter you motto-interrupting freak!" Butch answered while saying a word that made Axel's smile dropped. I assumed this word to be 'freak'. I guess they knew about Axel's...condition. Unfortunately for them, I don't think that word sat well with the legendary hybrid. "We borrowed one from P.C.S. headquarters. And we've been tracking that medallion for a long time now! We'll claim that amazing power source for our-"

"Ah here we go. Now I don't have to listen to your dribble. Yippee for me." Axel brought out something all right. Specifically, another one of those 'pokeballs'. But this one was clearly different, like the luxury ball. Instead of red and silver, it's two halves were gold and silver. And something else. Unlike the others, this sphere had an inscription. Two letters, but still an inscription.

"G...S..." I said the letters out loud as Axel enlarged the sphere with a touch of a button, making them easier to read. It was weird. With the other spheres, I could detect the life and mind inside. It was easy, they were metal, not bank vaults. But this sphere didn't have a consciousness inside. I did feel a certain power coming from it, but I think it was different from those other spheres in more ways than one. And that was made apparent when Axel opened it up wide.

"Bi-Bi! I need you!" There was a brilliant flash of light. That's the only way to describe it. It was so blinding, I had no choice but to close my eyes and cover my face. And that still didn't keep it all out. My retinas stung with burning light for what felt like hours before the light finally faded. I let my arms fall and my eyes open just to become one of those in the crowd with a puzzled look. Or in Butch and Cassidy's cases, shocked beyond all reason.

"You...uh...You...uh..." Butch and Cassidy couldn't contain their stutters. But they sounded like their idiot selves nonetheless. Axel didn't even smile this time. I didn't see why Butch and Cassidy were so aghast. It was a pokemon like any other.

It was a green fairy-like creature. It had round toe-less feet, three-fingered hands, and clear wings on its back. Its head was round and came to a point, sticking upward in the back. It had large baby-blue eyes, with thick black rings around them, and a pair of green antennae that were tipped blue.

"Bi-Bi. Time corridor back to my time, if you'd be so kind." 'Bi-Bi' nodded with a wide-mouthed grin, and suddenly, the starry sky outside became a lot less interesting. Mostly because it was being covered up completely. It started out with a simple blue spark in the window. One might blame it one a trick of the eye. But I knew better when more sparks began to appear. Spark by spark, the distortion of the very air grew and grew. Pretty soon the sparks weren't the only things there. The window was greeted by yet another visitor. This one, even more unbelievable, if possible. A tear. A rip in the air. Sounds crazy, but what doesn't in my life? The air was being torn asunder by a cyan blue wave of energy. The wave developed and engorged with every spark that flew off it. And eventually, it had consumed the whole frame, and not a soul in there knew what was about to happen. Except maybe Axel, but in his won style, he wasn't telling.

"Fun's over you two. Whadda you say we head home, huh?" Axel said with the cheeriest of voices, though his face still reflected a man who was still mulling over that one word. That word that made his face change almost immediately.

"Forget it brat!" Cassidy screeched, grabbing a pokeball from her belt. "Not without that medallion! You may have taken the Lugia from us, but not that! Nothing can stop us from getting our hands on such a power source!"

"Oh really? Then what's that?" Axel pointed behind them, and the duo, along with their top pokemon turned around. This gave Axel enough time to prepare an Aeroblast at his left fingertips. Not a big one, but it was enough to do what he did. Hoodwink them. He tossed the Aeroblast at the three, who barely turned their heads back twenty degrees before the spherical attack completely enveloped them. They were tossed back, right into the rip in the air. After dissolving into its confines, the group was nowhere to be found. Not a trace remained. Not even a scream that might indicate their careening over the edge. They just...vanished.

"Alright. My turn." Axel walked forwards as the little fairy thing sat on his head, looking rather pleased with itself. But I couldn't let it end there. I had to do something. To say something that might keep him there. I opened my mouth, but unfortunately, the one moment I just couldn't allow it to happen it did. The one inconvenience that constantly plagued my life. A jolt hit my brain. The sharp but non-painful jolt that made my brain go into shut down mode, fast. I sat back in the chair, slipping into the tired stupor like I had all the other times. But I fought it. I fought it as best I could. But my eyes...they just wouldn't stay open. They wanted to shut. They needed to shut. Whatever this stupid jolt was, it just loved tormenting my waking mind. I had to sleep. My body simply obey me. But I had to stop Axel. I had to know...how to use those damn medallions. I didn't know...I didn't know...I didn't...know...I...My head. It was getting fuzzy. I couldn't fight the fatigue much longer.

"Then don't." I heard a voice say, though now I can't be sure who it could have been. It hazy by then. My head wanted to drop and my body was about to go along with it. And to back those two up was a reassuring hand on my shoulder. That hand...it was trustworthy. That's all I knew. "That jolt in your head. It's your father. And he's trying to contact you. He's reaching out to you. So don't fight it Ven. Your dad wants to see you. That's all there is to it."

I trusted the voice and shut my eyes, letting sleep's warm embrace grip me tight once again.

**End of Chapter Eleven!**

**Sorry for the wait again. I know, it took too long. Insert real life excuse here. But anyway, if you enjoyed the chapter or story overall, review, favorite, whatever. Because if my readers are happy, I'm happy! Wohohohoho.**

**That was meant to be a jolly laugh. Not a creepy one. Don't get those confused. **


	12. Three Days

**Just to warn you, this will be a slightly different kind of chapter. It's a shorter one, but I wanted to take a lot of time to write this. Maybe you'll see why, maybe you won't. **

Chapter 12: Three Days

I opened my eyes in a state of utter relaxation. My body was completely lax and limp. It felt as if some divine power had massaged every muscle in my body to the point of being completely immobile. I wouldn't have opened my eyes in such a mellow state, but unfortunately, I didn't seem to have a choice. Whatever this miraculous force that was making me rest was, I desperately tried not to resist it. But a certain smell made me curious. Salty. Very salty.

My eyes were met with absolute, one hundred percent, pure-grade beauty. The salty smell's source couldn't be mistaken. The vast blue ocean before me made it perfectly clear. And the fact that I was hovering right above it proved one of two things. Either I had transformed in my sleep, or I was dreaming again. Since I had been magically teleported here from a hotel room to open water with absolutely no land over the horizon, I assumed the latter. The sea was calm, perfectly in tune with me. Nothing but pure and blissful thoughts entered my head as I stared at the serene ocean. So relaxing.

But enough of that. Staying above the water I mean. Because suddenly, for a moment, I had an irresistible urge to see what was under that tranquil surface. So before I could think of a reason not to, I dived head first. I folded my wings at my sides and made a seamless entrance into the waters. I had closed my eyes for the impact, not that it hurt or anything. As a human, I was just so used to closing my eyes in the water. But upon opening my eyes again, I immediately regretted it. Why should I keep my eyes closed when such beauty was just sprawled out before me?

These waters were nothing like those of the world I'd grown up in. They were crystal clear due to the sunlight that filtered in from above. I could see for miles in every direction, but that was hardly necessary. I wouldn't need to look far to see the real attraction here. The creatures. Just one look, and I knew these were pokemon. Never seen fish like these, I'll tell you that. All kinds of pokemon swam around me, without a care in the world. I saw large ones, tiny ones, ones shaped like hearts, some resembled sea serpents and some even looked like starfish that spun in a helicopter-like fashion. I felt something tickle my belly. I looked down and smiled at the small blue turtle creature that looked to be having fun tackling me in the stomach. It was cute, and having fun, and it's not like it hurt or anything so I just smiled at him and patted his red shell a tad. He grinned in return and soon swam back to his mother. I nodded a goodbye and marveled once again at the beauty of this submerged world.

And then, for whatever reason, the atmosphere changed. All with a sudden vibration. It felt as though a wave had hit me. A gentle push in the water moved me a few feet towards the surface, making me tilt my head in confusion. And in a moment I realized that that was the least of my worries. They were all gone. The pokemon, I mean. I turned my head, this way and that, but from what I could see, I was all by myself.

Well, not completely alone. If this was a dream, as I had assumed, then there was only one person who would be showing me these absolutely beautiful sights. So without fear, I waited...and waited for him to show himself. Funny. He was taking longer than usual. In fact, this was the longest it had ever taken him. If I didn't know better, I'd say he was going to leave me high and dry...or wet...in this dream. Just staring out into space with no one to talk to.

Yikes. Scratch that thought. Two seconds later, a very familiar pair of glowing blue eyes appeared before me, lighting up the ocean like a firecracker. I pulled back in surprise for a second before calming my reflexes. I have to wonder if it was necessary for him to pull off that dramatic appearance every time he contacted me.

_"Ventus." _My father said as his entire form came into view. He was smiling proudly at me, and I dunno. I got a reassuring feeling from that for sure, but I didn't know why. He got closer and began stroking my neck with his wing. _"I'm happy to see you are alright."_

_"Th-Thank you." _He really was happy. I could feel his contented state from here, and it was quite contagious. Though there was still a problem with this. Despite our last little 'talk' I still wasn't sure how to act in front of my dad. I still had a bit of a stutter when I talked to him. But he understood. I could tell. And it was a huge relief just to know that. _"F-Father?"_

_"Yes, my son?"_

_"Uh..." _It still felt odd for me. To have someone this powerful as my dad. But luckily, I knew not to worry about it anymore. He was my father first, after all. _"Is this...your world?"_

My father blinked his eyes once, as though confused, before responding. _"Why, it's your world as well my boy."_

_"R-Right. Of course." _I quickly corrected myself. Boy I sounded like I was trying too hard. And my dad knew it. I could tell from the grin.

_"It is alright Ventus. Do not be anyone but yourself." _Whoa. I was really transparent today.

_"Erm...um..." _I still wasn't sure exactly what to say. What do you say to a father you didn't even know existed for most of your life?

_"I apologize. You do not know me yet, and you find yourself unable to say anything, correct?" _I widened my eyes in surprise before remembering how sharp on the uptake he was. Despite the distance between us for all those years, he knew me pretty well. I was a little embarrassed, but glad he knew the score. Of course, after that, the score changed. His face fell and mine soon followed suit. The jolly mood I had sensed about him all but disappeared, and a dreary one replaced it. I didn't think I'd like what was coming. _"I'm sorry. I would like to show you more of your new world, your home that you'll be returning to. And I shall. But I must tell you...discomforting news."_

_"H-How discomforting?"_

_"Ventus." _He stopped stroking my neck here. _"I must ask. Are you...upset that your human life is ending?"_

_"Wh-What? No! Well, I was at first, but that was before I knew about you and...everything."_

_"That is good. But if your transformation were to remain permanent at this moment, for your human form to disappear completely right now. Would you be at peace with it?" _

_"Well I-"_

_"Please answer me honestly, my son."_

_"I...I...I have...I don't know."_

_"Ventus...I am sorry." _Suddenly, and right out of the blue, my dad wrapped his wings around me, pulling me close. I returned the hug, if only to make him feel better, but I didn't understand. And I didn't see how this made any sense at all. But I wouldn't need to concern myself with that. Because he told me, and when he did, my mind froze. _"But I have observed the progress of your transformation. And I'm afraid the final transformation will occur in just three days."_

_"WHAT?" _My wings drooped and my eyes got even wider. Sure, I knew this would happen, but I didn't know I had such little time left. I suppose the clues would point to this conclusion. My body's latest morphs, my sudden increased psychic abilities and the like were all factors. But I had just been too dumb to see it. I knew being human wouldn't last, it had been inevitable. But...it was a big part of me.

I may not have been born human, but I was raised as one. Even after all this adventure stuff, I had no idea how to be a Lugia. It wouldn't always be fighting monsters. And somehow that scared me even more. That's right, it wasn't the fighting I was fearful of. Oh no, I had that down. At least with the fighting, you knew what you had to do. My heart was beginning to beat faster as I swallowed hard. My human life may not have been the best, but I did know what being human meant. It meant social awkwardness, an irrational inferiority complex and a whole lot of imperfections. I got the feeling that when I went full Lugia, people were going to expect perfection. I had gotten this worry once before. Before I met Jet. The big finale was coming up fast. And when it did, I would have to ask myself one question. Was I really ready for this responsibility?

_"Ventus." _My dad must've read my mind, because his voice suddenly got tense. I looked up as my dad moved back and lowered himself to my eye level. His eyes were fierce again. I gulped silently. I was always just a little tiny bit terrified when he got like that. Despite the fear that I knew he felt coming from me, he kept it up. It was a good thing I knew this intensity was just to help me, or I might've died of fright right there. _"I know all of this has been most stressful on you. I cannot imagine the changes you've had to experience." _I'll say. _"But you need not fear what is expected of you." _He seemed to sense that he was scaring me a bit and smiled. I felt him pat my wing reassuringly and my drumbeat of a heart softened to a low rumble. My breathing came back to a regular tempo. Someone was here for me. That's all I needed to know. _"Ventus. You only have so much time left as a human. I don't want you to spend that time fearing of being what you are. You are a Lugia and my son. And that is all you are required to be. No matter what Ventus. I will love you, as I always have, my child."_

I awoke warm and comfy. And no matter how many times I tried to justify getting up, one attempt to rise and shine and I immediately collapsed back into my traditional morning daze. My head dug itself into the feathery pillow beneath. So soft. The blankets could be a little thicker though. I was getting chilly. Prickles of icy cold ran up my feet and legs. I pulled these paper thin blankets up as much as I could. Didn't this place have heating? Well it must have, since my upper body still felt relatively warm. I wondered why that was before sitting bolt upright as I remembered the reason.

I opened my eyes to find myself in another hotel room. It looked exactly like the last one, except y'know...the window wasn't in pieces. I let out a big yawn and rubbed the sleep out of my eyes. It had been so long since I'd slept in an actual bed. But then again, in three days I guess I'd be going cold turkey on beds. I was getting confused. I was really worked up over this. But for the life of me, I didn't know why. This was what I wanted. After all this time, after all the crap I went through with brawling against monsters and the time spent in the lab, this was my reward. I was going home. But I was so uneasy. And I could not, for the life of me, fathom why. I'd already gone through this change so many times now. What was the big deal?

"Ven!"

"Hooph!" I exclaimed as something very heavy hit me in the chest like a missile, knocking the breath right out of my battered lungs. I dropped right back down. The pillow barely had enough cushioning. I felt the mattress as it slammed into the back of my head. I opened my eyes and subsequently rolled them. "Hey Lucan."

"Hey Ven!' Lucan shouted, more excited than I'd ever seen him. He had the lightning medallion draped around his small shoulders. Seeing that sparkling gem made me think of something...perplexing.

"Uh...Lucan-"

"I thought you'd never wake up." Lucan said with his usual degree of politeness. "You fell asleep and we couldn't get you to wake up. Axel just said to leave you be and-"

"Hey wait a minute!" I just remembered what the hell had just happened. I had to stop Axel before he...nope too late. Really too late. It was morning. Actually, based on the amount of lighting filtering in through the curtains, it must've been at least midday. Boy I had to have been out like a light. Because not only had the time changed drastically, but I had to be in a different hotel room. For one, it was empty except for me and Lucan. That, and the window wasn't shattered. Crud. He'd already gone.

I sat up in bed again, Lucan sliding into my lap, and rubbed the back of my head. For a luxury hotel, these mattresses sure did hurt. My head felt like it had been struck with a chisel. My fingers ran down my hair and feathers and...uh oh. I clamped my hand down right where my neck met the head. I didn't have any hair there. Just feathers. Great. Now I was transforming in my sleep. Guess it was to be expected. Because in three days, I wasn't gonna have to worry about it.

"Something wrong Ven?" Lucan asked, blinking.

"Erm...nothing. Hey, Lucan?"

"Yeah?"

"I've been wondering. Where exactly did you get that medallion?"

"Oh. Ummm-" Lucan's face was getting red. I didn't know rats could blush. "Thing is...I had it all along."

"I see." I crossed my arms, forcing an awkward laugh from him. "And when were you planning on telling me about this little discovery?"

"It's not what you think! Really! I-I wanted to surprise you. It would've been fun! I know it!"

"Relax you little twerp," I replied as I gave him a quick scratch behind the ears. He calmed down in an instant. "I'm not mad. I was just wondering. But, how in the hell did you hide it from me?"

"Oh, it was easy," Lucan began to rub the medallion against his chest. And before I was done blinking, it disappeared. My eyes got wide. And before I could ask what the heck that was, Lucan answered. "The medallions are magic remember? Lugia taught me how to hide them in case I came across one. The lightning one was easy to hide, since I'm electric too."

I sighed. "You're something else, y'know that?"

"I try. By the way, Ven?"

"What?"

"Why'd you hide your transformation from Amy?"

"Uh..." Obviously, I hoped the conversation wouldn't come to this. This was an interesting question. Mostly because even I didn't know the answer. "I dunno. Guess I just didn't want her to think of me any differently, y'know?"

"No." Lucan blinked his eyes in confusion.

"I guess it's hard to understand. If you're a pokemon, this problem never really pops up, huh?"

"What do you mean? I don't even understand what the problem is."

"Ugh. Never mind." I groaned. It was no surprise he didn't get it. Pokemon were animals after all. Since when does an animal care what other people think? But unfortunately, I had the 'luxury' of being brought up human. Lucan hopped onto the bed as I sat up and yawned audibly. I looked at my own feathered belly. I guess my disguise didn't last the night. I closed my eyes and put up another one.

"You goin' out?"

"Yeah."

"Good. Can you bring me something to eat? Moltres girl won't let me leave."

"Sure thing." I rolled my eyes at his last comment. Moltres girl indeed. That's what Vanessa was. I strapped on my sandals, snatched up the room key on my bedside table and headed out the door, emerging into a quiet hallway. I felt my stomach gurgle. Lucan had the right idea. I hadn't eaten in a while. And a diet of all fish, while quite tasty to me, couldn't be good as a human. I wasn't sure if that was true or not, but hey, it was one of my last few days among humanity. Might as well indulge while I could.

"And what can I get for you today?" The chipper waitress asked as I sat down in the hotel restaurant. I let out a small grin. It had been quite some time since someone had been that polite to me. What with scientists prodding me with needles and Axel's constant cockiness. It was refreshing. I still didn't know how I would be paying for this, but the attitude was still a nice change.

I ordered some ribs and she asked for a room key so my bill would be charged. Good for me, since Vanessa would be the one paying for it. I gave it to her and she rushed off. I leaned back in my chair. It was weird. Just twenty four hours earlier, I was nursing a gun wound. And now I couldn't even feel it. Not to mention the fact that I was sitting in one of the most expensive looking restaurants I'd ever seen. My life sure had a tendency to take the oddest of turns. It all started in a ferry terminal, then I was suddenly on a beach, then an island, a lab, and now I was in Las Vegas of all places. Now that I think about it, I'd travelled more on this adventure than I ever had. Hey, was it just me, or was I beginning to see the bright side to all this?

"Well well. You're quick to rise Venny-boy," Vanessa's voice slithered into my ear. I turned around, seeing her for the first time without her jumpsuit. Instead choosing to go with much brighter, much less...erm...revealing clothes. She took a seat across the table, making sure her fruit-smelling perfume wafted into my nostrils. "You were pretty zonked out earlier. I'm surprised you woke up at all, really."

I said nothing.

"Aw what's the matter? Y'know, I'm really not so bad when you get to know me."

"You're a thief," I said simply. She sighed. Don't blame me if I didn't quite trust this girl. She had just tried to make me her pet. Not something I just look past. Plus, you know, the fact that she was a thief didn't help her case much. A professional thief at that. One who apparently had a 'collection' of some sort. Where did she keep it? Who cares, I didn't. Fact of the matter was, I didn't like her.

"And what's so bad about that?" I knew she was enjoying this, I just knew it. It wouldn't be so bad if she didn't constantly talk in that insultingly flirtatious voice of hers.

"You're kidding, right?"

"Hmm? Don't know what you mean by that." I groaned and rolled my eyes. I looked away and refused to look back at her. She was an impossible equation. "Oh come now Venny. It's not that terrible that I'm part of your little troupe now."

Ha. Easy for her to say. She didn't have to deal with herself.

"Aw. Someone still a little sore for the whole 'Adding-you-to-my-collection' thing?"

"A bit," I replied with as much sarcasm as I could put in two words.

"Listen," Vanessa's tone suddenly became very subdued. I was now curious. She must have actually had something important to say if she was talking in a real tone. "I don't regret that. Life's too short for regrets. Or at least mine is. You may have thousands of years ahead of you, but I sure don't."

"You sound pretty chipper about that."

"What can I say? Life's a game. And I enjoy games."

"Why are you talking to me?"

"You're rather distrusting aren't you? Can't I have a little conversation without being judged on my...shall we say 'profession'?"

"Uh huh." Sarcasm is something you need to excel in when talking to Vanessa. The situation simply calls for it.

"Clever boy. If you must know, I happen to find you interesting. Stripped from your home and your family as a child. Left to fend for yourself in a world that's unfamiliar to you. And then you found out where you came from. Life was never the same again. And you know why I find that so interesting?"

"Please. Indulge me." I said as I visibly rolled my eyes.

"Because you remind me of me." Now there's an answer I wasn't expecting. I had to raise an eyebrow at that. I was suddenly intrigued. Any chance to get a good idea on what made Vanessa tick was a good thing in my book. But get this, Vanessa acted as though it wasn't. I mean that she was now checking her nails, producing a file from her sleeve just to frustrate me.

"Uh...You want to elaborate a little?"

"Oh? Now you want details?" She had to be joking. "Relax, I'm just joking. You and I are quite alike, when you get down to it."

"...Really?"

"Yes. You see, like yourself, I too was brought away from my home, and raised by people I can hardly call family. Sure, they have the living conditions and the cash, but most of that relies on my presence. And that's the only reason they haven't dumped me yet. And like you, I learned where I came from and life changed. Now I'm in the family business."

"Thievery?"

"Call it what you will. It's a LaFleur tradition. The family has been full of artists who can pull off these heists with such grace and artistic flair." I had to roll my eyes again. She needed to come off her high horse. Stealing is stealing, no matter what mask you tape on top of it. "Why, my father once acquired the rare sapphire of Esca. Largest sapphire in the known world."

"Your father?"

"He still sends me letters every now and then. Yes, he's still alive, don't look so shocked. I never said he was dead. And I know what you're thinking. No. He didn't just toss me into an orphanage and expect me to fend for myself. He watches over me. And I love him for it."

"You...You...Are you being serious right now?" If she was, then Axel had been right. She and I were very similar. Right down to the father that watches over us.

"Oh Venny, don't make me laugh. When it comes to family, I'm always serious."

"Why are you telling me all this? I thought you didn't want me talking about your family."

"Oh? Is that all you have to ask me? I would think you were a little more curious than that." I gave her a look. I didn't feel like talking to her any more than I had to. "Hmph. Fine. If you must know, I supposed that if I was gonna go on this little trek with you, you should at least know why I'm going along with all this craziness."

"Y'know, for a thief, you really suck at being dishonest."

"Haven't you ever heard of honor among thieves? Personally, I think that saying is a bunch of crap. But it applies here. I've got to go now." She got up. "But before I do, I want you to know something."

"What is it?"

"If in the end, we can't find a portal back to your world, my collection is always open for you." I rolled my eyes as she slunk away. I was beginning to wonder if she'd ever drop it. Though to be fair, she did bring up an interesting point. I mean, I had all the medallions now. Or at least, my friends did. But the problem was, I didn't know what to do with them. I was suddenly anxious. What the hell was I supposed to do now? I didn't think a portal was just gonna pop open and invite us in. Well one thing was for sure. I wouldn't be able to eat my lunch in peace with this on my mind. .

When I had finished my meal, I headed outside and went for a walk. Hey, I'd never been to Las Vegas. Odds were, I never would again, either. Since I was there, I might as well see the sights. The films really didn't do this place justice. There was something I'd miss about being human. I just realized. This was the longest I'd ever gone without watching Ocean's Eleven. It was my favourite movie. Of course, I wouldn't be seeing it at all in three days. I really had to stop thinking about that. Besides, I thought, I might as well take everything in while I could. Gee, I was really taking a positive attitude. I'm proud of myself. I was just enjoying the view. The heat of sunlight beat down upon me like a sledgehammer, but all the same. It was a beautiful city. The tops of palm trees decorated the desert sky as I walked down the dry sidewalk. It was interesting to see all these casinos and hotels towering above me, all of which I'd only seen in pictures and movies.

"V-Ventus!" I turned around when I heard a very squeaky voice behind me. And of course, who else could it be, but Jet, running up to meet me.

"Hey Jet," I greeted him with a wave as he approached with a nervous step.

"Are-Are you okay?"

"Yeah. 'Course, why?"

"Uh...it's just...you collapsed last night, so-"

"Oh that. No worries it happens all the time. It gets a bit annoying at points."

"Oh...I...see." He didn't really see. I could tell.

"What's up?"

"Well...I just wanted to say thanks."

"For what?"

Jet turned away from me with the first smile I ever saw him have. He gazed out into the city, the cars passing by making his hair flop around in the windstorm. He appeared to be fine with it though since he was still just standing there, staring out at the scenery.

"Back on my island, I...I was kind of a shut-in. I didn't like going outside, and especially not on on adventures like this. But look at me now! I'm a main-lander. And I'm doing stuff now!"

"Like what?"

"I punched a guard yesterday...because Amy told me to. But still, I gave his chin a bruise."

"That's...That's great Jet." Meh. Couldn't hurt to humor him, right? I supposed this type of thing was exciting to someone who's been sheltered most of their life. What was I saying? It was way _too _exciting for me. I didn't know how a (ahem) 'normal' person like Jet was still sane after all this.

"I'm just a fraidey cat back home. But now, I'm going along with you! The son of the saviour of our island! And I can't wait to meet your dad. So...I guess what I'm trying to say is...thank you."

"Wow...uh...you're welcome Jet. But I really don't think you should be thanking me for that."

"Of course I should. You turned me into Ho-Oh. And I've been waiting everyday for the moment when I can do it again. It was the most fun I'd had in years."

"Okaaay. Why?"

"Huh? What do you mean 'why'?"

"Why do you like being Ho-Oh so much?"

"Oh. Oh yeah, that would be confusing to someone from the mainland. I apologize. I wasn't thinking. On my island, when your dad saved our predecessors, they...assumed that...um...this is kind of embarrassing. They thought that your dad was..."

"...Yeah?"

"...God."

"You're kidding," I almost laughed. It took every ounce of strength I had not to chuckle. I knew I might've been insulting my dad a tiny bit, but the only thing my race could be considered a God of was the sea. And we weren't even that. We were powerful, sure. But Gods? No chance.

"No. I'm not. And ever since then, we've highly valued birds in our culture. So when I became one, and a legendary one at that, I sort of-"

"I get it. Thanks Jet. Glad you're on my side now."

"Yeah. Sorry about the whole...blaming your father for-"

"S'alright. It was a natural thing to do."

"I don't hate him anymore, now that I really know what changed my-"

"I know Jet."

"And...there was something else."

"Shoot."

"Amy wanted to see you."

"WHAT?" I shouted immediately, like a madman. And I shut my mouth right away. That was a big outburst. That wasn't called for. And it got even worse when I did it again. "WHERE AND WHEN?"

"Uh..don't hurt me please. She's back in the hotel room and-" I almost went right through Jet. And I would have, had he not shuffled out of the way in time. I was dashing back to the hotel at top speed, and let's say I was glad there was no one in my way. They would've been trampled. I was really hustling, and for a second, I wondered why. I stopped to think. What was wrong with me? Why was I so anxious about Amy? She was just Amy after all. Not like we hadn't talked before. I slowed down as I realized I may have just given Jet a heart attack. I still didn''t understand that outburst I just had. It must've been because I hadn't seen her in so long, I so reasoned.

When I had gotten back to the hotel room, I fumbled with the key thanks to my larger fingers, before opening the door. And inside, I found Amy, lying back on a bed with the remote for the TV in her hands. Whatever she was watching, it made my ears hurt. Granted, she shut the program off the moment she saw me, but regardless my eardrums stung.

"Hey Zack."

"It's V- ...Never mind. Y-You wanted to talk to me."

"Yeah. Here," Amy held out her hand, and it took me a second to realize that she actually had something in it. A pamphlet from the hotel. I didn't get it. Was she getting paid to advertise now? "Axel left it for you. Said it was important you get it."

"Axel?" I asked because I didn't recall Axel actually picking up one of these pamphlets. I took it and unfurled it. I saw advertisements for the hotel's many attractions, but little of anything else. I was stumped. Was this supposed to be a joke? I wouldn't put it past Axel.

"Hey Zack?"

"Yeah?"

"There's something written on the back here."

"What?" I turned it around, finding that there was indeed something written in the corner of the page. I read aloud.

_"Home is where the start is."_

_"Copy this down on another pamphlet, then burn the original."_

"What the heck does that mean?" Amy asked as soon as I was done. I didn't answer right away. I was busy wondering what this could have possibly meant. Home is where the start is. I scratched my head. I was at a loss for words. I really had to wonder why no one just said things in plain english anymore. But I had to admit, Axel may have been a jerk, but he wasn't stupid. There had to be a reason he gave me this. But that just left room for more confusion. Did Axel even write this? If so, why was it necessary to write another one? Oh well. I went over to the desk in the far corner of the room and grabbed a pamphlet. I opened it up, found the same corner of the page and wrote down the message as fast as I could.

And when I did, I dropped my pen in shock. Because I realized something when I picked up the original pamphlet so that I could burn it. Things were clearing up fast.

"What is it?" Amy asked as my hands began to shake.

"Amy. I wrote this."

"Well, of course you did. You did it just now."

"No. I mean that I wrote both of these."

"Say what?" Amy was curious now. She picked up both pamphlets, and her eyes began to dart from one messy scrawl to the other. She blinked in confusion. And I knew why. "No way!"

"Yeah. They're the same." They _were _the same. Right down to my horrible placement of the dots above the 'i'. Both of these pamphlets were identical.

"Is this another time travel thing? I'm confused enough as it is."

"You and me both."

"Well. I guess we'll find out later, huh? Which one is the original?"

"This one," I tapped the one in her left hand and she nodded. We burned the first pamphlet in the sink as instructed. My mind however, was elsewhere. This whole time travel thing got more confusing by the second. The thing I was burning in the sink was most definitely the same pamphlet I had just written on. Not to mention all the other stuff that I had been forcefully introduced to by Axel.

"So what now?" Amy asked when we were done. "What's the plan?"

"I dunno. We don't really have a clue where the portal back is supposed to be."

"Actually, we kind of do." I arched an eyebrow. She pointed to the pamphlet in my hand. "That."

"What about it?"

"Are you clueless? Come on, that's gotta mean something, right?"

"What could 'home is where the start is' possibly-" I froze for a moment, and slowly but surely, a colony of butterflies took refuge in my stomach. I figured it out. And I really didn't like it. More on that later though. I handed the pamphlet to Amy. "Could you hang on to that for me?"

"Okay. But why can't you?"

"Because I-" I froze again. The reason for her holding it was obvious. Because I wouldn't have pockets in a few days. But I didn't want to tell her that. I couldn't tell her that.

"Zack, what's wrong?"

"I...I can't say."

"Oh," Amy wasn't dumb. If there was one thing she wasn't, it was dumb. And something told me, she was figuring out why I wouldn't hold onto that small slip of paper. "Zack. If you have something you want to tell me-"

"Sorry. I can't. I-" Amy grabbed my hand. I felt my face go hot. And as I looked into her concerned eyes, I realized something. I realized, just why I was so uptight about the final transformation into Lugian form. Why I was suddenly so scared of going home.

It meant saying goodbye.

**End of Chapter Twelve. **

**I'm sorry. I can't seem to write these things faster. Maybe because it's probably the thing I try to perfect even though it's nowhere near perfection. Well that's that. I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Wasn't very eventful, I know. Next chapter, we get back into action. **

**Seeya later.**


	13. Homecoming Part 1

**Wow, I just noticed, this story has been added to three communities. Awesome.**

**Also, sorry for the wait being longer than usual. School's been hectic, and on top of that, I tried writing this already and it ended up terrible. So I said screw it, I'll just write three short chapters instead of one gigantic one.**

Chapter 13: Homecoming Part 1

"Come on then, what are you waiting for?" Vanessa asked as Amy, Jet and I gaped at the sight behind her. Lucan, not understanding what the big deal was, simply went slack in Amy's arms and waited for the rest of us to get moving. I hardly cared. I knew Vanessa was way too wealthy for any of us to grasp but I had a hard time swallowing this.

We were standing on an airport runaway. The wind howled in my ears along with a ballad of planes taking off into the twilight sky. Those sounds seemed somehow fitting considering the eyesore I was staring at. Vanessa certainly didn't see it. She seemed to hold no hesitation as she ushered us towards the bright pink jet before us. The size of which made my Lugian self look like an insect by comparison. With two pairs of wings and a certain level of brightness which made me feel like I'd go blind, I'd like to think Vanessa may have gone a tad overboard with our travel plans. A set of stairs had been set up at the back entrance of the plane, a couple bulky men in black stationed on either side. She had a lot of these guys. Oh, and did I mention that it had a large 'V' plastered across the side just like the other piece of Vanessa's air armada? If her ego was personified, I got the feeling it would be King Kong.

I rolled my eyes before proceeding. Whatever. It wasn't like Vanessa could surprise me anymore. I followed Moltres-Girl up the steel-grated steps, Amy and Jet right behind me.

"Do we have to go along with what _she _says?" Amy asked, obviously aware that Vanessa was well within earshot. "Why can't we just fly there ourselves instead of taking this pink thing?"

"Um...I would think that we'd attract a lot of attention," I replied simply, hoping she didn't smack me for my logical argument.

"So? Who cares? I don't."

"Call me crazy, but I don't want those P.C.S. guys to see me on the six 'o clock news. I don't want them to come after me again."

"Come on. It's just nerds in helicopters. What could they do?"

"I'M NOT GOING BACK THERE!" I turned around and spat my retort right in Amy's face. Of course, two seconds later I realized that might get me a black eye for that and pulled back. But there was no need to. I felt my face soften when I saw that Amy's had too. She wasn't beating me. In fact all she did was nod, give me a concerned look and gently nudged me forward. I turned back toward the plane, realizing just how far we'd come in this...erm...relationship of ours.

"Now, it wasn't my first choice," Vanessa explained as she stepped over the threshold. "My mother took the good jet to France for social purposes. So we'll have to rough it."

"THIS is what you call roughing it?" Amy squawked louder than her Articuno form ever could. And I couldn't blame her. My jaw dropped alongside Jet's. If this was roughing it, I'd hate to see Vanessa's idea of luxury.

The walls and floor of the interior were lined with gold fabric. I gazed in the direction oif the front of the plane and I assure you, if my mouth could drop any lower it would. This wasn't a plane in any way. It was a palace. The walls weren't the only things styled with a shimmering gold. The many pieces of furniture, from the couch, to the plush chairs, to the desk (the WOODEN desk, mind you) were stitched with the sparkling textiles. Then of course, there was the plasma TV fastened to the wall. Along with the laptop on the desk, it was the only piece of technology there. And this was just the first section of the plane. The rest of it was cut off by a pair of violet curtains. But I don't think anyone would care.

"Shoes off!" Vanessa said as she slipped off her boots. I had to roll my eyes at this. But I unstrapped my sandals anyway and let my bare feet come in contact with the cushy carpet beneath me.

"You're kidding me!" Amy screamed as Lucan squirmed out of her arms, sensing the oncoming storm. "Is this just another house for you?"

"Pretty much," Vanessa replied, not showing the least bit of caution after Amy's outburst. The crafty cat burglar sauntered past Amy and down the aisle, heading for the curtains. She whirled around to address us before vanishing beneath its folds. "Any of you leave this part of the plane, and I'm snapping your necks."

"I'LL KILL THAT GIRL!" Amy screeched no one in particular. My friend huffed and fumed (forcing Jet, Lucan, and I to take cover) and barreled herself like a missile into the couch. A few seconds later, I was worried she might become the Incredible Hulk if she was left unchecked. After a few minutes of cowering in my hiding spot behind the desk, I felt a tap on my shoulder. With my eyes still widened in terror, my head snapped around. I found Amy giving me a displeased, but sufficiently relaxed expression. "I'm good now."

I exhaled in relief while Lucan crawled out from his safe haven under me and onto my shoulder. Somehow, it always got more and more terrifying every time she broke out in a fit of rage. I emerged from my safe zone to see that she had somehow managed to tear a rather respectable gash in every one of the arm chairs. The only thing remaining in one piece was the couch, and she'd already flipped that over. Not that I was surprised. It was routine these days.

I should probably explain why we were on this plane. And I wish I could say it was for a more uplifting reason. I was going home. Why exactly wasn't that a comforting thought, you may ask? Well, it was all because of where we had to go to do so. The message on the pamphlet Axel gave me hadn't filled me with confidence when I deduced just what it meant. Or at least, what I supposed it meant. If I was wrong, it would be both unsurprising and a relief. But don't blame me. What message was I supposed to get from the words: 'Home is where the start is'?

'Home' and 'Start'. Two words with no obvious meaning. I was turning the pamphlet around at all angles in an attempt to find a real clue in that cryptic mess. It was aggravating to me how Axel just left us high and dry. I thought I had an idea though. 'Home'. Where I needed to go. Didn't take a genius. 'Start' was a little more confusing. I had figured half of the equation, but math had never been my thing anyway. But of course, I put two and two together. Okay, Vanessa put two and two together. But all the same. 'Home' was the goal. And 'Start' had to be where everything began. Yes. I feel like an idiot. Don't worry.

Of course, maybe I just didn't want to figure out 'Start'. Because it meant going where I least wanted to go. The 'Start'. So we had no choice. It may have been wrong, but it was the only clue we had. No one said I had to like it though.

I had to go back to the house. The house that burned down. The house where my story began.

Despite the fact that I would only have to cross that bridge when I got to it, my nerves were still shot. I really did not want to go back there. Apart from the lab I was held in, it was the one place in the world I'd like to avoid at all costs. But as of then, I simply had no choice. So without even a sigh of despair (for once) I shuffled over to the other shredded seat and tapped the back of Jet's cowering head.

"The tsunami's died down Jet," I said softly so Amy wouldn't hear me. Jet didn't move. So I raised an eyebrow and gave Jet a rather rough poke. As a result, he swayed and dropped to the floor. Oh Lord. He'd fainted. I'd never seen anyone actually faint in terror.

"Hrrgh!" I heard something heavy clonk into the floor as I felt a gentle rumbling beneath my feet. I glanced out the window, the gentle rumbling turning into a dull roar. The painted lines of the runaway were speeding past the window one after the other. Looks like we were taking off. Speaking of which, I should've put on a seat belt. Or at least I would have had Amy not completely destroyed all the chairs. "Well, that's done."

"Huh?" I turned back to Amy who was smacking her hands together in front of the right-side-up couch.

"There we are. The rest is unsalvageable." Amy declared, her job officially done.

"I'll say," I didn't even have to look at the room again. Instead I got ready for takeoff, plunking myself down on the surprisingly intact sofa. Amy took a seat next to me and our eyes were instantly drawn to the unconscious form of Jet. "Should we help him?"

"Meh, don't worry. He faints whenever I do something. He's kinda weird like that."

"Yeah...he's weird..." I made my eyes dart to the other side of the room, hoping she didn't hear me. It was only when I returned my gaze to Amy did I notize that her hands were shaking. I tilted my head, puzzled. "Say...you nervous or something?"

"I'm fine. Just never been on a plane before."

"What? Seriously?" That didn't come out right. I started laughing awkwardly in an attempt to fix my shock-based outburst. Which only made it more awkward. Thank God the plane chose then to lurch into the air. Gravity threw me to the posterior side of the plane, Amy tumbling after me and Lucan falling off my head. I caught Lucan with a psychic net, snagging him inches before he smacked into the back wall. And I almost missed the knocked-out Jet. Luckily I extended the 'net' in time and prevented further injury to him. As for Amy, I caught her. But not with psychic abilities.

Amy broke out in hysterical laughter as the plane took off. Fortunately, she was so wrapped up in the fun of being in a plane for the first time that she didn't even notice my beet-red face. The plane leveled out a few minutes later, clouds and blue sky passing by the windows as Amy snickered away.

"Well, that was fun," Amy said before bolting out of my arms. I sat up quick and tried to make my face look not-so-much like a tomato. I never did succeed, but Amy was too focused on staring out the windows to care. "Wow! Even you haven't taken me this high up!"

"Oh, well I'm sorry to disappoint," I shot back as I managed to drain the blood from my face. I set Lucan and Jet down gently, hoping Jet wouldn't be this way the whole adventure through. I don't think I've ever met anyone so squeamish.

"You know what I mean!" Amy gave a friendly clap on the shoulder (which still gave me a bruise) and sat next to me again. Lucan had found his bearings after getting used to the sounds the plane made in mid-flight and climbed onto my shoulder. Amy let out a big yawn and put her feet up on the opposite end of the couch. Without the common courtesy of asking, she leaned her head onto my feathery arm, using it as a pillow. She really got a kick out of making my face burn, didn't she?

"Hey Ven!" Lucan waved his hand in my face, making me pull back a bit before I gave him the attention he obviously coveted. The constant jumping on my thighs and sparking of the ears was clue enough. "Look at what I can do!"

"Wha-?" I managed to spout before Lucan jumped off me and spun around. I squinted when his tail suddenly lit up like a firecracker. I recoiled for a second before realizing that he was using an attack. An attack which would most likely leave a pretty big dent in the floor. And considering the amount of important stuff kept in the floor (wiring and such) on a plane, it was a good move when I caught his arms just before he impacted with the floor. His tail went back to normal as it dangled beneath him. He gave me a glare.

"Heeeey!"

"You coulda broke something with that!"

"Yeah? What's the problem?"

"Huh? You mean you can't see the problem with BREAKING SOMETHING?"

"But..." Lucan started to talk, but then looked at the floor with a grumpy look on his face. "Axel always liked it when I broke something with Iron Tail."

"Oh great. Him again," I said with a great amount of distaste. That may have been a bad way to put it. Why? Lucan's face fell when I said it, which made me gulp in realization. "Uh, something wrong?"

"You don't like Axel, do you Ven?"

"Well, you gotta admit, he wasn't too cooperative."

"But _I_like him!" Lucan said with the biggest smile I've ever seen him have. "He taught me all kinds of cool moves! I can use Electro Ball and Thunderbolt too!"

"Look, I can see that...wait...what's an Electric Ball?"

"_Electro _Ball. And I'm very glad you-!"

"No! Don't show me!" Lucan needed an off button. Hell, all of my friends needed an off button if I really think about it. The Pikachu gave me another look that could match a baby's who wasn't getting his way. Geez, he really liked using those moves. I didn't get it. What was so great about destroying stuff with a bolt of electricity?

Lucan slipped out of my grip and scampered off into the back section of the plane. I suddenly felt like I had been knocked in the stomach with a battering ram. I think that was the first time I had gotten Lucan genuinely mad at me. He had been ticked off before (like when I ditched him at the ferry terminal), but certainly not this much. I was gonna have to make it up to him later.

"Huh." I heard Amy speak up for the first time in a while. I swung my head back only to watch Amy stare out the window with one eyebrow raised. "Weird. Clouds weren't there before."

"Clouds?" She was right. From the weather report I caught before takeoff, the West Coast was supposed to be clear. And we'd only been flying for a few minutes now. I rose to my feet and checked out the scenery outside for myself. Or lack thereof. There was no scenery outside. Just a complete backdrop of fog. Considering how high up we were, it was a wonder there were any clouds up there at all. I scratched my head (or I would have if I had nails). This had come out of nowhere.

Just like what came next.

It happened so abruptly that I don't think either of us reacted right away. It started with the thunderous sound of metal scraping up against metal. I had to cover my ears for that one. And once the sound ended, an even worse disaster was soon to follow. I felt gravity immediately shift as the plane rotated around me. At least Jet and I had a soft landing. As I hit the couch, Jet's suddenly alert body hit the pile of fluff that was once a chair.

"What's goin' on?" Jet exclaimed as he woke up at last. He covered his head, trembling, as though someone else was gonna fall on top of him. That would've been preferable to what really happened next.

This time, I not only heard the eruption of noise of metal scraping with metal, I was blinded by the light of what caused it. I shut my eyes as a light as bright as the sun blazed into my retinas. The plane jerked beneath me and I felt the plane tilt once again, angling towards the earth. And when I opened my eyes once again, I got a better view of the thundering clouds we were submerged in. Mostly because the entire back of the plane had been cut off! Seriously, it was as though a giant had torn the plane apart with his bear hands. Seriously, if Jet had been sitting a few feet closer, he would've disappeared along with it.

However, that bit or relief was hardly worth it since I could feel the air currents around me begin to grapple me away. I didn't prepare in time. All the air escaped from my lungs as the suction flung me into the air like a slingshot. The secure feeling of the plane floor left the soles of my feet as I tumbled into the moist mattress of clouds, moisture trapping itself into my feathers immediately. I'd never felt so disoriented as I was quite literally flushed out of the plane. I was so surprised in fact, that I forgot for a moment that I could fly. I went into a free-fall, the air rushing past me like cars on a freeway.

"S-Silver Soul!" I shouted out as loud as I could between orchestral beats of thunder. Light filtered into my eyes as the transformation began once again. And when it faded, my wings caught the air and my free-fall skidded to a stop.

That wasn't the end to the danger. I was quite literally in the middle of a storm. Flashes of blue lightning invaded my eyes, forcing me to blink them shut every few seconds. That, along with the symphony of thunder gave me a reason to fold my wings and dive further into this ocean of clouds. I emerged and hovered in place, quickly looking up to see if I had to catch Amy, Jet, or Vanessa when they flew out.

I felt the enormous sound wave before I heard it. The blast made me drop a few feet, even as I tried to push against its force. I opened my eyes and gaped. The towering smoke of the crashed plane melded into the overcast above. The flames spread onto the grassy fields beneath the wreckage. The nose of our ride had careened into the farmland like a meteor. It had been embedded into the earth, crumpled like a slip of draft paper.

Waves of fear washed over me. I knew Jet, Amy, and Vanessa cold fly out of there just fine. But what about the pilot? And the flight crew. And...oh my God. If I had hands, I would have smacked myself. What about Lucan? He had been in the back part of the plane when it had been sliced off. I spun around mid-air, the fear in my stomach twisting into a terrified nausea. The tail had also landed. And it was in the shape.

"LUCAN!" I shouted in desperation, hoping he had survived it. Hoping that he had had the common sense to get out of there and change into Zapdos. I scanned the nearby air space with a quick-beating heart. No bright yellow wings in sight. I swallowed hard. I wasn't sure what I was going to do. I didn't know what just happened. My brain grasped for ideas and none came. My eyes shut and my thoughts reached out, hoping to find any trace of life around me.

"GYAAH!" My searching was interrupted as I felt the all too familiar feeling of electricity surging into my bloodstream. This shock was much more severe than any I had received in the unadulterated, creeping pain shot straight through my wings and slunk into my brain. Screaming was the only thing I could do.

When it ceased and my body tingled in relief, my wings went slack and I dropped. I couldn't move. Every time I tried, another jolt locked my limbs back into a falling position. The chilling night air became thicker and thicker, almost like I was plummeting in a pool. My head, currently only able to stare up into the booming clouds above, tried thinking of a way NOT to fall to my untimely death. But it was no good. All I could think was: 'Stop falling. Stop falling. Stop falling NOW!'

And...I did. No seriously, I did. My body felt like it was caught in a net. From the smell of earth below me, it seemed I was saved just before suffering a similar fate to the plane. And it was a few seconds before I realized that it was me. I had just caught myself using telekinesis. At first I wasn't sure of it. But when I told my brain: 'Turn around. Turn around. Turn around NOW!' it was clear who my saviour was. I flipped around faster than I ever could of my own volition. And that's when I came face to face with the one who inflicted the lightning on me. And at this point, I wasn't even surprised.

Another dog-like creature. I think we're three for three at this point. Though I'd say it looked more like a tiger than it did a dog. Most of its gold fur was crowded with black stripes, not counting its white underside. Its thin blue tail had a star shape at the end of it, which almost drew attention away from the purple 'cape' draped across its back. Its mostly white face had an X plastered right across it, with a grey crest right between its eyes. Lastly, it had two sharp fangs jutting out of its maw.

But this beast wasn't staring at me. It was staring straight at the thunder clouds above my head. My head wasn't prepared for the eardrum-splitting roar that followed my notice of this. Normally, this would be followed by the beast lunging at me and trying to tear me apart. But this time, I watched in bewilderment as it released three bolts of lightning from the cape on its back. The streaks of electric power soared into the hazy yonder.

Normally, I would be too stunned to do anything. But at that precise moment, my paralyzation ended and I was free to cut the dramatics. I ended my telekinetic control over myself and let my power well up inside me like a balloon. I opened my beak and let my Hyper Beam build up to its full power. The heat of it made my mouth tingle as I prepared to fire.

"Stop!" I widened my eyes. This one could speak, and it was clearly a male tone. I always forget that there are actual people inside these crazy beasts. But it wasn't like that would keep me from continuing my assault. "Before you strike, look upwards."

He said that rather calmly, but with the track record these things held, I didn't want to turn my back on him. So I didn't. My eyes glanced quickly up and then back at my adversary of the week. But when I realized what my vision had just fixed itself upon, I did a double take. I swallowed hard. It was unbelievable. I know I say that every two seconds, but really, it was. The lightning strikes the creature had sent up earlier were...coming back. But now, in a different shape. If I was making this up, I'd tell you. I had one reassurance at least as I saw this. My friends hadn't died in the plane crash. However, now they were in another kind of life-threatening terror. Great. My favourite.

The lightning was now emerging from the clouds of thunder in its new form. The energy seemed to come to life as it bended itself like physical matter, twisting and turning itself in the air into what looked like...a cage. The sound of crackling thunder echoed off the bolts of power, making me imagine the image of a roaring tiger. And the people inside that cage might as well have fallen into a tiger pit. Articuno, Moltres and Ho-Oh were all flapping their wings desperately as they attempted to hover inside their new galvanic confinement. Great. First towers of water, then flames of darkness, and now electricity of sentience. Is anyone noticing a pattern?

Amy squawked madly and tried to fire an Ice Beam at her cage of energy. The beam of sparkling ice struck the prison to no effect. Jet, in a panic tried to ram his cell, only to ram into Vanessa instead, who intercepted him before he made such a big mistake. I felt a bottomless pit in my stomach. They were trapped. And based on the history my foes held, I didn't want to know what would be happening next. I swung my glare back towards my new enemy. I'd had enough. All I was trying to do was get home. But all these creatures wanted was to get in my way. I wanted it to end right there.

"Before I fight you, Ventus," my opposition growled in his gruff tone, "I wish to talk."

"So NOW you wanna talk?" I shouted just before flapping my wings and thrusting myself into a collision course. "Well I don't!"

In my defence, I'm not that smart when it comes to strategy. I lashed out at him, hoping to tear him apart in any way I could. What I didn't remember was that this chump wasn't Entei. He could actually think. The beast bounded over me, stomping on my back and smacked me straight down. Pain racked my bones as I hit the earth, the air escaping from my lungs. Well, I just made a fool of myself again. Before I could think about getting up, I felt the weight of a lion crawl onto my back. A claw clasped onto my neck, holding me in place.

"We will talk."

"Mrrph! What about?"

"If you do not wish to talk, then you must realize that I have control over the fate of your friends." I would have smacked myself. I didn't think about that. "You will talk."

"Okay. Let's talk about you then." It hadn't come to me until then, but talking would be the biggest advantage. If I played my cards right, I might have been able to find out about a few things.

"We will talk about you."

"I'd be more inclined to talk...if I knew who I was talking to."

"...Very well. I am Raikou."

"That's not who I meant."

"Then tell me, little Ventus, who do you want to talk to? I am the only one here."

"And who were you before the shadow made you what you are?" What? I can be smart when I want to be. Unfortunately, by merely saying that, it made my breathing awfully hard since Raikou had pinned me down further with his claw.

"I have been unclear. I apologize. I did not mean for both of us to talk. I meant this. I talk. _And you listen."  
_  
"What are you-?" That was all I could get out before my body went slack and my vision went black. My mind went fuzzy. I had gone blind, but my mind couldn't process it. It was almost as though my brain had been thrust into a hazy fog without a beacon of light to guide me. It was so sudden. In the blink of an eye I was...lost.

At least I was until I felt a jolt in my neck. Not an electric jolt. More like bit of adrenaline. A wave of sweat crept over me as a voice of absolute power and logic entered my head. The voice was incredible. Like reading a textbook, what the voice said sounded like a fact. Information. Impossible to deny. Suddenly I wasn't lost anymore. I wasn't worried as long as it spoke.

_"It is alright. This will pass. Do not resist it."_

"Okay..." I said without hesitation.

_"Very good. Now, I'm going to help you Ventus. Would you like my help?"_

"Yes. Please. I-I can't-"

_"It will all be fine. Trust me. I will guide you home."_

"H-Home? Really? You know where-?"

_"Yes. I do. But you must listen to me. And listen well."_

"Yeah, sure. Anything."

_"There's a smart boy. You want to find your way home? However, you will never find it in your current state."_

"Why...?"

_"You doubt me?"_

"NO! I don't...sorry..." I felt guilty. All this kind voice was doing was helping me. How could I be so ungrateful as to doubt it? I grimaced in shame.

_"There is a method by which you may accelerate your journey. You must sacrifice something."_

"Sacrifice...okay..."

_"The truth is, you are correct. You are traveling to the portal to your world. You deciphered Axel's puzzle brilliantly."  
_  
"Thanks, but how did you know about-"

_"Do not speak. Just listen. Once you arrive at the portal, you will not be able to access it. You do not have adequate power."_

"Huh? But we found all the medallions."

_"The medallions are insufficient right now. Their power has been used incorrectly."_

"Incorrectly?"

_"The medallions have a set amount of energy. By expending that power in the ways you have, the portal will not be strong enough to transport you."_

"So what do I do?"

_"Follow my instructions to the best of your ability. You must stop expending the energy. And there is only one way to make sure of that. You must take the medallions from those...people...using them. And continue alone on your quest."  
_  
"Yeah...okay...makes sense..." Wait a minute? Why was I agreeing so easily? The voice was talking about leaving Amy, Jet, Vanessa and Lucan behind. A part of me was realizing how ridiculous that sounded. But a much larger part of me was focused on the voice's inability to be argued with. Just sounded so logical. And full of crap. But on the other hand-GYAH! Why couldn't I make up my mind?

_"They're slowing you down. And they've been doing all the fighting as well. I would think you'd want to have all the battling experience you could. You do want to make your father proud, do you not?"_

"Well sure...but it's Lucan's world too, I can't just-"

_"Tut tut. Don't argue with me."_

"I don't wanna, but-"

_"Come now Ventus. You need to be stronger. So. Much. Stronger. It's what you need. YOU. NEED. STRENGTH!"  
_  
"But they-" I was fighting with myself. Strength was good...right? So, did that mean the voice's whole argument was correct? It made sense. I should be strong. But I couldn't shake that little feeling deep inside me that something was wrong. My only question was why. It had been a lot easier when that feeling hadn't existed. But now that I had it, it wouldn't leave. I was confused, conflicted. Two forces were fighting it out inside my skull, and I wasn't sure who was winning.

"LEAVE VEN ALONE!" Suddenly, it was clear who was winning. Suddenly, my vision came back to me. I was once again staring at the smoking wreckage of our , my view of it was obstructed when Raikou clattered to the earth a few feet ahead. I rose my head up before shaking it rapidly for clearer thinking.

"What the hell?" I groaned as I pushed myself onto my feet, nursing a headache.

"Okay Ven?" I spun my head around and sighed in relief. It was Zapdos.

"Yeah, thanks Lucan." It just occurred to me how weird it was that I was seeing my little pal as a bird who was almost as tall as me. Oh well, we had bigger things on our minds.

"Grrrrrr," I heard two kinds of low rumbling. The first being the growling thunder in the clouds up above. The second being Raikou's throat as he rose to his feet. "VENTUS!"

It happened so fast. There was a flash of yellow light from above. Then a crack of thunder that would make me cover my ears if I knew where they were located. Finally, it all came to one conclusion as a flash of lightning erupted from the clouds. I hardly had time to look up before I was strike with surging electricity. Every feather burned with a new kind of fire as my blood churned within my veins. I cried out, my voice hardly comparing to the searing might that now overwhelmed me.

Until...it stopped. I blinked my eyes open as I stumbled around, completely bewildered at the experience of being electrocuted...AGAIN. That had to stop happening.

"Ven! HIT HIM ALREADY!" I flashed my eyes upwards, finding Lucan getting electrocuted instead of me. He was hovering in place, taking all that electricity in.

"Lucan! What're you-?"

"I'm fine! Get him!" He really was. All he was doing was hovering there. He didn't look in pain. Guess being an electric pokemon had its advantages. As for me, I turned my attention back towards Raikou, who wasn't quite done yet. He was using some more lightning, but this time, it was coming from him. My brain clicked and I instantly got a Hyper Beam ready. I launched it fast, the sheer force of it making me dig my heels in. Our two attacks clashed, and for a moment, time stood still. Lightning against my Hyper Beam. We both kept up the power, and I was realizing how much energy my attacks used. I was running out of juice.

But to my everlasting luck (and surprise) I won out. Raikou's attack fizzled out and my assault broke through, barreling into the beast with the force of a train. The mutt collapsed, my sudden advance in power leaving his body with a grotesque scorch mark. I smirked. I was getting good at this.

"That power! So you are getting stronger." Raikou said with what sounded like surprise as he glared up at the sky. Lucan lighted down next to me. Both of us a tad confused at what he was doing now. Until our gazes matched up with his. We widened our eyes. He was staring at the electric cage he had created earlier containing my friends.

"But if you won't get rid of them yourself, I might as well."

Lucan was much faster than I. I didn't have time to be worried. Lucan launched a bolt of lightning sky high. His initiative was matched with Raikou's. The two of them wielded lightning instantly, but Lucan was just a little bit faster. His expansion of energy struck the bars of the cage and for a moment, I thought he wouldn't know what to do. However, after two seconds, I realized how foolish an idea that was. Raikou's bolt hadn't reached the cage before it disappeared. Lucan retracted his lightning, along with the extra power that the cage had been made of. And when it had dispersed, Amy and Vanessa didn't hesitate. Flames burst from Vanessa's beak in the same way ice burst from Amy's. Relentlessly. The two forces struck Raikou head on, resulting in a shriek of pain from him. He tumbled backwards once again. I had to hand it to him. Suicune could never take so many blows. He looked like he was about to recover, but Jet and I were finally ready to back the ladies up. I prepared an Aeroblast and Jet got his fire attack ready. Raikou's two fangs sparked with electricity, but we were quicker. Our two enormous spheres of energy exploded as they impacted with his face. The resulting shock wave staggered me back a few feet. But I was okay. I opened my eyes and waited for the smoke of our assault to clear. There was no way he'd be coming back from that.

And I was right. The smoke cleared. He was gone.

"What?" I exclaimed. I turned my head this way and that, aiming to catch him before he launched a sneak attack. But there was no sign of Raikou. He had literally vanished in a puff of smoke. I sighed in relief all the same. We survived. For the moment.

_Well well. Might I ask what that was all about? _Vanessa asked as she landed before me, Amy and Jet not far behind. A pair of pilots draped across her back, both unconscious. I let out yet another breath of ease. Vanessa had had the common sense (and surprisingly the courtesy) to save her flight crew. _That WAS my favourite plane, I'll have you know._

_Get used to it. This is how it is in this little "troupe". _I replied in thought, using her own vocabulary as best as I could manage it. At that moment, I realized that I should probably leave the witty banter with Vanessa to Axel. He was pretty good at it after all. _We should get moving. _

_Get moving? Get up and go right after a plane crash that we barely survived like it didn't happen? Venny, I like your style even more than I thought I would!_

_Save the flirting for later! _Amy sneered at Vanessa as she thought this, my feathers becoming very warm all of a sudden. _We got a portal to find._

_Now now. Don't worry Amy. It's not like I'm TRYING to steal your boyfriend._

_What did you just-?_

"Uhh...V-V-Ven?" I turned back to Lucan and gulped, my feathers increasing in temperature as the situation got even worse. Lucan was glowing. His whole body was flashing sporadically in a healthy white glow. His eyes were shut tight and twitching madly, like he was in pain. "I feel weird."

"Lucan?" I managed to splutter just before he was enveloped in an orb of white light. The light of the transformation. In seconds it faded, and Lucan lied face down in a heap. His fur was riled and the medallion was clasped between his tiny hands as he attempted to get up.

_Reverse! _I thought rapidly as the same light returned to transform me once more. This time it took longer than usual for me to change back to my other form completely. But I couldn't worry about that at the time. Once my transition between bodies was over and done with, I rushed over to Lucan and scooped his tiny form up in my excessively feathery arms. "You okay?"

"Hm?" Lucan grunted as he opened his eyes. He yawned. "I dunno. I felt sick for a second there. I'm okay now. Where's my medallion?"

"Uh...you sure?"

"Yep. Heh heh," he replied as he leaped out of my arms and sat on my head. "See? No problem. Pretty good recovery, huh?"

"I...suppose." My friends really astound me sometimes. I gazed down at the medallion and knelt down to pick it up. But I stopped. My eyes were instantly drawn to what might have been the worst part about that day. Not because of how dangerous it was. Not because of what it meant for the future. Not because it might be a problem with our level of firepower later on. But it was because of which eerie voice that it proved right.

The medallion was flashing, and my with my psychic abilities, I could sense the lack of energy within.

**End of chapter thirteen!**

**Okay, I'm sorry. This took three months, it's not that good, it could've been longer, and I'm fairly sure no one even cares about this story anymore. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I know I always say that I'm going to get better and I NEVER do, but this time I mean it. Hopefully, updates will come out more often. I've just been so tied up with real life, my youtube Let's Plays, other hobbies, yadda yadda yadda. Once agan, I'm story. And I hope people are still reading this. Thanks if you've stuck with me this long, and I'll seeya later.**


	14. Homecoming Part 2

Chapter 14: Homecoming Part 2

I clasped the cold steel of the lightning medallion in one hand, using my other to brush off the dirt which had settled on it. I took a deep breath as the blinking light emanating from the medallion ceased and the traditional healthy gold glow returned. The power hadn't blacked out yet. Lucan's medallion still had a lot of power within. I relaxed.

Or at least, I did until a thought occurred to me. I curled the medallion into my fist. It reacted to my touch, sending a mild jolt through my arm. Something was strange about this medallion. The realization was plowing into my head like a battering ram.

_Reverse!_

_Reverse! _

_R-Reverse!_

Three flashes of light, one crimson, one blue, and one gold, sparked behind me as I heard the trio initiate their transformations. Immediately after the light faded, I bounded over to Amy and snatched the medallion from her outstretched hand, resulting in a loud "HEY" from her. I'd deal with her later. For the moment, I held her frigid medallion in my left hand and Lucan's in my right. I clasped them both and shut my eyes, focusing my mind to register the power within these two pieces of metal and jewellery.

"ZACK!" I staggered and dropped both medallions as a rough smack was given to the back of my head. My knees gave way and I landed on my nose, yelping in pain as I hit the ground. I massaged my injury as I stood up, Lucan's small paws crawling up my leg as he made his way to my head once again, since he had gone along for the ride Amy had just sent me on. "Didn't anyone ever teach you manners?"

"Sorry," I said sincerely, my head feeling my guilt for me. "I had to check something."

"What exactly," I gulped as Vanessa said this. I had just glanced back at her for the first time since she had turned human again, and she was quite a bit stronger than I gave her credit for. She was currently carrying the two unconscious pilots under her arms, seemingly not bothered by their weight. I cringed even more when she let them fall to the earth. Dusting her hands off, she carefully tiptoed over the inert men with a certain amount of grace. I rolled my eyes. She loved doing this to me. I could tell.

"That...That Raikou said something to me." I hesitated as the group scratched their heads. I sighed. It was hard to explain something like this to people who had just been thrust into this mess. Then again, I'm not one to talk, am I? "Look, it's like this. I know this is weird, but when he was on top of me it's like...I dunno. I couldn't argue with him." They gave me dumbfounded stares. Sometimes I hate the paranormal situations I have to go through. "So...anyway, he said that the medallions are losing power every time we use them."

"Huh? So is that-" I heard Lucan begin to speak up atop my head. I glanced upwards, finding the electric mouse hanging his face in front of mine, an ashamed look painted across his face. "-why I changed back?"

"Pfft. Then what good are these things if they're just going to start failing on us?" Vanessa asked as she dangled her own medallion off her fingertips, looking like she was about to toss it. I wish they would treat the gems of ultimate power with a little more respect.

"Lemme finish, okay? Lucan's is almost out of power, but I just checked Amy's and hers is just fine!" Amy stared at me as I finished up. She then stole a glance at her medallion, then back at me, then back at her medallion.

"You sure?" she asked bluntly. "I've used this thing a lot of times now."

"Yeah. It's just Lucan's that's losing power. The rest of them should be fine." That was both a relief and a hindrance at the same time. On the one side, we could still use the power of the medallions without worrying about losing their strength. While on the other side, there was Lucan. I felt the weight leave the top of my head as Lucan jumped off it. The rat made a landing next to his medallion and picked it up with his two tiny appendages. He had his back to me. I scratched my head as silence infected us like a virus. I gulped as sweat began to build up above my brow. I just realized what a tight corner I had placed the smallest of my friends in.  
The silence refused to leave at first. Vanessa seemed the only one who didn't realize how much this hurt Lucan. Up until he had become Zapdos, he was just hanging around and cracking the occasional joke. Despite the pact I made to myself not to invade the privacy of my friends' minds, I went into Lucan's for a moment. I pulled out just as quickly, grinning a sad little grin. I reached out and grasped Lucan's quivering form into my hands, placing him on my shoulder. I patted his head and his cheeks sparked in relief.

"It's okay," I said.

I felt the heat of the sun before I saw it. The chilly night air slowly became warmer around my wings as the grandest of stars came into view. Sunlight glistened off the dew of the fields below, forcing me to squint my eyes as the fierce light filtered in. I heard Lucan let out a squeak of discomfort atop my head just before he sneezed. He had taken a ride on me, since he didn't want to risk wasting the medallion's power any more than he had. Vanessa, in Moltres form, flanked me on the left. Amy was on the right, and Jet was bringing up the rear.

I had nearly forgotten the absolute joy that is flying with ones own wings. The air currents felt just right beneath my flapping wings and dangling feet. Every wingbeat gave my heart another spark of joy. That felt so much better than staying cooped up in a building. The flying and the swimming are the best parts about being a Lugia. Of course, my friends couldn't quite agree. I didn't even have to try to read their minds to feel their disorientation from changing forms so often. Even Jet, who was gung-ho about changing into Ho-Oh for some reason, wasn't quite used to the body of a bird. Amy just had a preference for arms. And as for Vanessa (who had ditched her flight crew in a barn, saying, "They've been trained for this"), I don't know what goes on in her head and I never bothered to check. I laughed inside. They didn't know what they were missing.

That was strange. A few hours ago I was incredibly uneasy about turning into a Lugia permanently. But now that I was one, things were different. It was a bizarre experience. As a human, I felt comfortable being human (although my human body wasn't exactly _human _anymore), but as a Lugia, I wanted nothing more than to remain that way. I began to get concerned. I was wondering whether or not my brain chemistry rewrote itself whenever I switched bodies.

But my life would never allow me a second to worry. The farmland was fading fast below us. I was seeing more and more houses and roads, making a spark of concern jump in my heart. It was time to start getting stealthy.

_Let's turn! _I said telepathically to my friends as I arced myself to the left, towards the ocean. The three legendary birds trailing along behind me soared just above my back. I hovered in place as I felt their talons land on my back. After three telepathic shouts of, _Reverse, _three human forms plopped onto my back. After my trio of pals returned to their human selves and got a good grip on my back feathers, I left the land behind and dove straight into the cool and refreshing ocean, making sure to activate the auras which would allow the humans and mouse to breathe while I made my way through the waves. I felt their discomfort at the unfamiliar situation of breathing underwater. I couldn't blame them. I had felt the same way originally. After sending them all a relaxing feeling, their emotions quieted down. Ah, swimming. It was almost as fun as flying. Of course, from the water, I couldn't tell where I was going. But if I could avoid a nasty situation at the border between the United States and Canada, it was all the better. I snaked my way through the currents, my eyes darting to anything that could potentially knock my passengers off.

We swam for hours. I constantly had to send my companions reassuring feelings to keep them from freaking out too much at not being able to see anything, but we pushed on through. Occasionally, I would hold still and check the minds of the people above the surface, hoping to find out how close we were to our destination. After many attempts at this, I made one final navigation. This one was successful and I pinpointed our location and continued along the sea floor, making my way between two rock faces. I grinned. We were finally here. Where it all began, and where it would all end. I spread my wings for the first time since diving into the surf, making a strong upstroke which allowed me to ascend in the drink. I poked my head above the surface, allowing me to breathe in fresh air once again. Maybe fresh air isn't the proper term. City exhaust would be more accurate. I wanted to go back under the surface to avoid that disgusting scent, but I had to be sure of what was up there. The sound of cars screeching across the bridge above blazed inside my head, giving me an instant headache. I gazed around, hoping to get my bearings. Perfect. There were no boats on the river. Unfortunately, I had been driven past this river a lot in my childhood. I knew it wouldn't stay that way for long. As soon as I felt the people on my back step off and begin to tread water, I said the magic word which swapped me back to human form.

"Reverse!" I felt the light envelop me immediately. I expected the light to fade soon after as usual, but for some reason it wasn't fading right away. I would have begun to panic, but suddenly there was a prick of pain in my spine. However, that note of pain quickly became a chorus of agony as my spine suddenly felt like it was attempting to tear itself from my back. My entire body convulsed. I screamed, but no sound emerged from my mouth. It seemed the light was taking away not only my wings, but my ability to express my own pain. That didn't stop me from having it. My spine trembled and warped my body for a few more seconds before it began to tug itself apart. There is no other way to describe it. My spine was beginning to grow. And before I could brace myself, its growth accelerated to a torturous degree. I felt it curve and twist. By the end of it, I wasn't even sure how far it had gotten.

Finally, the pain receded. The light faded around me and I plopped into the river. Fortunately, I wasn't so pained that I couldn't swim. And it seemed I hadn't morphed far enough into a Lugia to breathe underwater just yet. I choked, but I managed to get my head above the water. After spitting out the water which had found its way into my mouth, I found that the others hadn't bothered waiting for me. Nor had they noticed I had been in pain. They had been preoccupied with their current breaststroke to shore. I rolled my eyes up. It was then that I remembered that I still had a passenger atop my head.

"You okay, Lucan?" I asked as I followed my friends. Lucan replied with a whimper.

"Don't go under without warning me, okay?" Whoops. I forgot that I had deactivated his ability to breathe beneath the surface. Glad he was alright, all the same.

That sudden pain left my back in a fragile, tingling state. And that tingling was becoming a rather bad itch. My arms were busy with the swimming, but luckily my tail was free. Those sharp tail spikes sure can satisfy an itch.

Wait a minute...I HAD A TAIL? I would have reached back to check, but I think it was easier just to swing the end of the new appendage in front of me in the water. I froze. I had forgotten. A day had gone by. I only had two left until I morphed completely. I took a deep breath and exhaled, continuing forward and using my tail as an extra leg to speed up my trip. Hey, might as well use it if I had it, right?

After putting up an illusion around me and finding the nearest bus stop, the five of us took a ride into town. It did give me a weird empty feeling in the pit of my stomach to be back in my hometown. Even if there were little differences like the Pikachu in my lap pretending to be a stuffed animal, or the rich girl complaining about taking public transportation. You learn to drown little things like that out when you've been at this for as long as I have.

"I still say we should have waited for my chopper to get there," Vanessa said as we stepped off the bus, doing her best effort to destroy our already flimsy low profile. She was so loud that we were getting stares as we trekked down the sidewalk. Even though no one could see it, I felt my tail lagging on the ground behind me. Sweat built up at my brow. I sincerely hoped no one started following me too closely. "It would've been easier, I'm telling you."

"Vanessa, what's past is past," I countered. "We're almost there. Just a little more."

"We'd better. I'm rather tired of walking everywhere." Well, technically, we flew here, but let's not get lost in technicalities. Sometimes Vanessa just gave me a headache with her mere presence. Amy, who was walking behind Vanessa, was taking every chance she could get to kick her adversary's heels. I'd have stopped her, but I was more concerned with Jet, who was currently trembling more than he usually did.

"You okay there?" I asked him, placing a hand on his shoulder which caused him to jump in surprise. "Apparently not."

"S-Sorry," he replied, still refusing to lose his stutter. "S'just...wish my parents could be here."

"Homesick?"

"No, not that. Well, yeah, I am. And I'm sure they're really worried about me. But what I meant was that I...that I...don't think I should be the one doing this."

"Doing what?" I asked, taking special care to ignore the argument Amy and Vanessa were having about shoes or something of the sort. I didn't care. What? I may be a pokemon, but I'm also a guy.

"Meeting your dad." Jet was wringing his hands uncomfortably, and I'm pretty sure I smelled a large amount of sweat coming from one of us.

"Why's that?"

"Well, I think it's kinda obvious. I mean...I did hate him for a while. D-Do you think he'll hate me for that?"

"Uh...no Jet. I think you're good in that department."

"O-Okay, that's good." Jet breathed a sigh of relief, probably dispersing the image of himself getting eaten by my father out of his head. "And there's also the fact that I didn't r-really believe he existed. How about that?"

"What about that?"

"Is he gonna eat-! I mean _hate_me for that?"

"Jet. He's not gonna hate you. You've been helping me get back home. If anything, he'll probably be grateful."

"Really? But what about-"

"Jet, he's a Lugia. Not a lion. He isn't gonna attack you, he isn't gonna step on you, he isn't gonna snap your brain in half. It's fine."

"No, th-that's not exactly what I meant. I just feel like I shouldn't be the one from my island to meet him. I...I mean my mom and dad worshipped the ground he flew over and-"

"Jet. Relax." I stated simply and gave him a shake. After bobbing his head for a bit, he gave me a grim look and nodded.

"Yeah, th-thanks Ventus. I just-"

"No, _you're _the immature one!" Jet and I turned our heads (as did the majority of the residents in the neighborhood) as Amy made a huge outburst in her argument with Vanessa. She was fuming and I don't think I have ever seen a human face go that red before. Vanessa was simply being her snooty self with her nose in the air and a swagger in her posture. "And I'll have you know that if we weren't trying to keep a low profile, I'd kick your butt right here!"

"Oh, lovely comeback," Vanessa retorted with an adequate use of snark. "And free tip, when trying to keep a low profile, it's best not to yell at me so that the whole street can hear."

"OH YEAH? WELL-!" Amy was about to go on until the realization suddenly plastered itself across her face. Her lips shut and she whirled her head around to see all the people staring at her from their front lawns and bedroom windows. Of course, being Amy, she waved at them all and put a smile on her face, as though her voice hadn't become the human version of a megaphone. I mentally and physically face-palmed.

"Ventus?" Jet spoke up again, lips quivering.

"Yeah?"

"Are women always supposed to be this scary?"

"I wish I could say no."

My neighborhood had not changed in the slightest. There was still the old man on the corner of Goldstream Road and Malahat Drive, uselessly watering his dead plants. I was still able to make out the elementary school down the road which looked about to fall apart. We turned onto my old street, the lot of my old house blocked from view by a hedge. And down the road were a few children on their bright red tricycles with their yellow raincoats on. Funny. They too were doing the exact same thing the day before I left. I got a weird sense of nostalgia. Well, not really nostalgia, per se. I more felt like I was on familiar ground. I knew what I was doing here. A welcomed feeling. I was getting a bit tired of having no idea what the hell was going on.

"Is that your old place?" Amy asked as we walked past the hedge. I gulped and nodded. There it was. I had to say, my absence had not exactly improved the place over time. Where once a poorly built house stood now was the home to a pile of scorched black wreckage. The lawn had never caught fire, so it was still there, although it was overgrown and outfitted with yellow patches. I sighed. Looks like no one even bothered to try cleaning it up or rebuilding it in any way. Then again, I was about to leave this neighborhood forever for the second time, so I could see why no one would want to build a house in this old place.

"So...what now?" I glanced at Vanessa when she asked this. For some reason, she seemed confused at my raised eyebrow and thus, raised one of her own. "Look idiot. You dragged me all the way out here, you were _sure _this was your only lead. So now what? We're here! What do we do now, fearless leader?"

That was a good question. And I had no idea how to answer it. Yes, I admit it. I am a moron. I followed a message left on a pamphlet by a man who I was fairly sure was clinically insane. In the process of this endeavor one of Vanessa's planes had been destroyed. I need to really need to think about my assumptions sometimes.

"Oh, lay off!" Amy shot back at Vanessa, grabbing me by the feathered shoulders roughly and shaking me. "It's not Zack's fault that that Axel guy left us high and dry!"

"Don't even get me started on him. Never before has a man, half animal or otherwise, been able to keep me so confused. Mark my words, I've made men three times my size spout their darkest secrets to me within three minutes. _Without _shoving their heads directly into where the sun don't shine. And that guy-" Vanessa's hands curled into fists, both of which shook with venomous rage. "-just...wouldn't...say...a...thing. He didn't help, he just stood there and told us useless nonsense about time travel!" Vanessa took out her medallion and glared at it like she had a vendetta against it. "As far as I'm concerned, that sack of uselessness screwed us over more than that...lightning...dog...thing even tried to do. Well, that's it guys! End of the road! It's been a freaking joy!"

Vanessa, completely frustrated by this point, tossed the medallion at my house like a grenade. My flirtatious friend was fuming (couldn't blame her, really) and we were all backing away from her (apart from Amy, who looked more than eager for Vanessa to start picking a fight with her). Jet and I had learned by now that when women started getting angry, it was time to leave them alone. Vanessa watched as her medallion soared into a graceful arc and then...time froze.

Or at least, it looked like it. At the height of its arc, the medallion froze in midair. At first I thought my eyes were screwy, so I rubbed them vigorously. But when I opened them up again, the medallion remained there, as if suspended by some immobile puppet master. I glanced at the faces of my compatriots, looking for confirmation that I wasn't the only one seeing this. Ah, wonderful, they were all as dumbstruck as me.

That's when it began to glow.

And it wasn't alone in this regard. Suddenly, Jet's pocket began to glow a bright gold. Amy had hung her medallion around her neck and it too was shining brilliantly with its chilling blue light. Lucan's had his dangling off his neck as well, and even it was shimmering against the sunlight. The three medallion holders took the necklaces into their hands. Before any of them could ask what was happening, the mystical objects flew out of their hands. They rose into the air, floating very slowly into position around the medallion of fire. The four medallions united, each facing one another in a perfect square formation. For a moment, nothing happened. All we did was stare at the four medallions as they glimmered in that magical aura.

"What the-? What the hell is-?"

"Mommy, look! Magic!"

"I knew it! I told y'all that the aliens were gonna come back!"

I gulped audibly, effectively snapping myself back to reality. I just remembered that this was all happening in broad daylight on a neighborhood street of all places. That was my biggest slip of common sense since I fell asleep out in the open on Jet's island. I turned around and immediately backed away. It had literally taken ten seconds for an entire mob of my former neighbors to gather in front of my former house. The anxiety of my former relationships came rising to the surface. I had gone to school with some of these people. And now they were all witnessing me (someone who had spontaneously returned after having disappeared for a few months) in front of four sacred objects that were about to open a portal to another world. Uh oh. The medallions were about to open a portal to another world! What if some of them got sucked in? What if they screwed up the space time continuum? What if I was the one who got blamed for it? Questions blazed into my mind as I desperately thought of a way out of this mess I had, admittedly, gotten myself in. Waiting for night might have been a good idea, the more I think about it.

"Zack? My goodness, is that you?" Old Mrs. Helenson from down the road asked, looking at me behind those thick-rimmed spectacles.

"Hey yeah, you're that kid who used to live here, aren't you?" The overly aggressive body builder who I knew for his ability to inspire fear in any poor sap that looked at him questioned me with that brutish way he said everything.

"Mommy, it's the boy you think is creepy! Remember?" a little girl urged her mother to answer her question by tugging at her coat tails. The mother responded by grinning awkwardly at me.

I was at a loss for words. I can fake acting tough to people I don't know (Jet, Vanessa, and Axel being perfect examples) but these weren't strangers who I couldn't care less about. These were friends and neighbors had been a psychological impact when I was a kid. I couldn't just-

Hang on a minute. One of those women did say I was creepy.

And some of these people were those who bullied me in school.

And I'm fairly sure I just didn't like the look one guy was giving me.

I smirked mischievously. This wasn't going to be as big a dilemma as I thought.

"Silver-" I began my reply, remembering what I was about to do. Go home. For the first time. Now was the time to leave this world with a bang. "-Soul!"

The light came, and throughout my transformation, all I could think about was what was going through the heads of these people. When the light faded, I had my answer. Sheer terror. Sheer, satisfying terror.

The light faded, and there I stood, bearing down upon this crowd of not-quite-so-innocent individuals. There were no words to describe the shades of white plastered across their faces. I quickly racked my brain to think of something to say. Something profound, something threatening, something befitting of the power I now held. And after a few seconds consideration, I knew there was only one answer.

_Boo, _I implanted the thought into their minds, making them all (with the single exception of the little girl of all people) scream in absolute, unadulterated fear. The crowd scattered, fleeing in any direction that wasn't towards me. If I was watching from above, they would look like rain droplets, quickly descending the surface area of a window. I have to admit, that was both fun and rather immature of me. Luckily, the fun factor outmatched the sensation of indignity.

"That was mean and you know it was mean," Amy said to me as she gave me a friendly blow the wing. "But it was still pretty funny."

_Yes. Yes it was. _I responded, still grinning. My enjoyable moment didn't last. There was the sound of an explosion, drawing the attention of myself and the others. We looked up at the sky, Jet and Vanessa gasping. Amy, Lucan and I were amazed, but we had seen this before. It still didn't take away from the wonder of the event though.

The sky was opening again. Above the rotating medallions, a giant hole was being ripped open in the sky, an infinite blackness beyond. The hole expanded, further and further. Gale force winds picked up all around us, causing the three humans to topple over onto me. I shielded them from the wind with my wings as the virtual cyclone got more and more intense. I looked up. There it was. My route home. The thing this whole journey had been about. My insides were suddenly lit with a fire of excitement. It was finally happening. And nothing could take it away from me.

Unless the sky turned purple. Which it did.

Why does the universe hate me? I swear, everything can be going great one second and the next, it all goes down the drain. At that point, I decided. Purple was my least favourite colour. For a second, I thought, if we were fast enough, the others could climb on my back and we could escape into the portal before anything unfortunate happened. But no. Whatever malevolent force was changing the texture of the sky, it had planned for that contingency as well. Our way out was blocked. Blocked by a large sphere of dark slime which was slowly manifesting itself deep within the confines of the tunnel. The orb began to descend like a slowly falling meteor. I was racking my brain. Something here was familiar. And when I figured out what it was, I mentally smacked myself. I knew what this was. It was just like how Suicune had appeared the first time. And if I had to take a guess, I'd say something similar was about to happen.

And I was right. The liquid began to dissipate back into the sky. Dissolving into the celestial yonder above, the disappearing mass gradually revealed its passenger. And it didn't surprise me in the least when I saw who it was.

"Ventus!" Raikou shouted as he emerged from his grimy prison. He bared his dual fangs at me, inspiring a sudden jolt of fear I had not yet felt when facing these enemies. He was angry. But not the normal kind of anger I was often on the receiving end of with these beasts. No, this was different. When I looked at Raikou's eyes, I felt my blood freeze. My heart was wrenching, like it was trying to leap out of my chest. It was like I was staring at the manifestation of the very definition of bloodlust. Needless to say, panic was seeping in.

I would have told everyone else to get their medallions ready. But unfortunately, I remembered that those pieces of jewellery were currently keeping the doors of time and space wide open. I cringed. That meant I had to fight...alone. Well, the point in searching for those things just went right out the window. I felt _really_ accomplished at that moment. Note to self: always make a contingency plan.

"Ventus! Ventus! VENTUS!" Raikou repeated my name, over and over, making me swallow hard. He began approaching. I gave the others a gentle shove around the corner. If it was me this guy wanted then it was me this guy was gonna get. That decision may have altered if the medallions weren't currently tangoing with one another in the air, but that's a different story.

I didn't wait for this guy to start the party. I got my Hyper Beam ready, the energy flowing within my chest before I fired it. Raikou apparently didn't expect me to fire so quick and was effectively blasted across the face. The beast was launched backwards, landing with a thunderous crash into the wreckage of my old place. I think I _felt _that hit.A cloud of dust emerged from his impact site, the scorched lumber rapidly caving in around his limp body.

"I'm getting tired of you guys!" I shouted at my fallen enemy, feeling more confident than ever considering that he didn't appear to be getting up. I stood my ground, keeping my focus in case he tried something sneaky. I was fed up. I was so close now. So close to my goal. And I wasn't about to let my fear of a giant beast who commanded the power of lightning at a whim stand in the way of my route to where I belonged. I flapped my wings, lifting myself up off the ground and giving myself a fair aerial view of the struggling Raikou.

Unfortunately, my frustration wasn`t exactly going to help. It all started with the sound of an animalistic roar. And then I screamed out in pain as a million needles of pain struck my airborne body. I wouldn't have realized that a massive amount of electricity was now boiling my bloodstream if it hadn`t already happened so many times. By now, you`d think I'd have built up a resistance to it. I might have were this lightning not burning me down to my very SOUL.

"GAAAAAH!" I screeched as the electrical power ravaged every feather, every bone, and every fibre of my body. My widened eyes locked onto Raikou, who had not only recovered from my preemptive strike but had prepared enough power to launch this incredibly painful assault. When his attack faded, I fell back, letting gravity take over. I landed painfully on my back, my head smashing into the ground like a falling star. I need to think my ideas through.

"HOW DARE YOU HARM ME…YOU…YOU….!" Raikou's footsteps came closer, his voice poking at my eardrums as he continued to yell out at me with his unbearable arrogance still intact. He was getting closer, and I didn't think I could get my second wind in time. Electricity was still crackling around inside me. My wings stuck out at my sides, stiff as boards. "…YOU….YOU….!"

"Yeah….me…..whaddya want?" I asked, remaining defiant despite my situation. I kept trying to move, to prop myself onto my feet so that I could at least mount a decent defense. But it was no good. I was locked in an electrical prison. My limbs, no matter how much they had grown, weren't powerful enough to break free. In fact, the only thing I felt I could move fluidly was my tail.

"….THAT…THAT…PUNK ATTITUDE YOU HAVE…" my eyes widened as he snarled these words. That didn't sound like him. That kind of colloquial speech didn't sound like a slave to that shadow. It sounded…human in a way. "…I REMEMBER….SOMETHIN' LIKE THAT!"

"Huh?" I wanted to keep him talking, but I couldn't really think of anything to say myself. That human-esque way of talking just wasn't fitting for someone who had been so impressive and threatening earlier. It was rather disarming.

"HOOF!" I exclaimed as the mutt jumped on my stomach, effectively knocking any wind that I had managed to regain out of me again. Once I caught my breath again, I looked up, finding Raikou staring into me with those cold, unforgiving eyes. His glare froze me to my core, giving me chills like I never had. It was then I realized that this guy was different from the other two. You see, Suicune was an obstacle, but she was on a mission. She was after me, but seemed to have no personal quarrel with me. Entei was just an animal and attacked anything that moved. The darklings themselves were similar to Suicune in that they were after me as an assignment. None of these was the case with Raikou.

This one loathed me to no end.

In his voice, you could hear genuine hatred. That sick, almost maniacal, tone of voice that wanted nothing more than to make my temper boil to a dangerous point. It was weird. Almost terrifyingly so. His hatred gave me hatred. I hated this guy as much as he hated me. Looking directly into those crimson eyes told me all I needed to know. It was similar to The Man. Just one glance in his eyes gave me such intense rage. Maybe that's what was keeping my courage intact, but either way, I would be perfectly willing to continue the fight if I hadn't been locked out of my own body.

"YOU….I….I…..KNOW YOU!"

I blinked in surprise. His voice had changed again. It no longer sounded like a wild beast of pure evil bent on my destruction. Now it just sounded like a human of moderate evil bent on my destruction. The difference was, the human voice didn't intimidate me. The ironic thing is, hearing such a weaker voice coming out of Raikou's mouth was actually kind of humorous, if I'm being honest. The intimidation melted away with that sentence he had just spluttered. I almost laughed.

"WHAT….WHAT ARE YOU….SNICKERING….ABOUT?"

Okay, maybe I did laugh. But it was funny. Unfortunately, for my sense of humor, I was given a clawing to the face. I yelped in pain like a frightened puppy. The claws had dug into my thick Lugian hide, causing a pain I hadn't yet felt. Might as well add one more to the list before I went home, right? I felt a warm fluid drip down my beak and onto my neck. My heart froze for a second. Was I bleeding?

"SHUT….YOUR STINKIN' MOUTH KID! YOU'RE UNBELIEVABLY…INSUFFERABLE!"

My anger wouldn't wane, no matter how much my fear was attempting to combat it. I hated him. And I wouldn't stop hating him.

"JUST LIKE….JUST LIKE….."

I cringed from the cut he had just given me. But I refused to give him the satisfaction. Blood poured down my face like a fountain, but I wouldn't flinch. Not in front of him. Whoever the human was inside of him, I knew I would hate Raikou. I didn't even know why.

But what he said next was a nice clue.

"YOUR MOTHER!"

I gasped. No way. It wasn't possible. I gulped. He was right. We did know one another. I was hoping it wouldn't happen. I was hoping never to see him again. I was hoping to move on with my life, leaving him in the dust. But no. That shadow refused to let me leave this world without fighting my largest demon. The demon that had always been there, even before this adventure began. The demon I hated even more than that shadow that took me from my home in the first place. This was the demon who had escaped hell with a smile on his face, because he knew he would be able to torture anyone he came in contact with. My boiling volcano of fury erupted, sending blazing rage flooding through my veins.

"Hey…stepdad."

**End of Chapter Fourteen.**

**Hey guys. Sorry. Sorry. Sorry. I take too long, I know. And this chapter wasn't even that long to make up for it, so I'm sorry.**

**Listen, I'll tell you why this took so long. Not because of real life (though that was a factor), but because I went to see my doctor recently. Y'see folks, there's been a lot times during the day where I am so tired that I have an irresistible urge to take a nap. And don't tell me I'm just lazy because that's exactly the opposite. There's nothing more I want to do when I get home but pick up the keyboard and write. But I just cannot fight it. Sometimes I'll be in the middle of typing and I'll fall asleep right at my desk. **

**So I paid my doctor a visit and he has a theory. Y'see there's been a lot of…erm….death happening around me lately. Friends and family have been passing away recently and my doctor thinks these constant escapes to slumber are a sign of clinical depression. It's a condition that most, if not all, individuals are unable to combat on their own. I'm taking therapy right now, but it doesn't leave much time for writing. So, please understand, that these delays are not my intention. I still love writing this story and I'm sorry I keep making you wait so long. Looking back and seeing some old nice reviews are great inspiration to keep me going during the writing process, so I'd like to thank YOU ALL personally for keeping my will to write alive. **

**Sorry to ramble and waste your time like that. I'll let you get back to your much more exciting lives now. **

**AU REVOIR, MES AMIS!**


	15. Homecoming Part 3

**Chapter 15: Homecoming Part 3**

This was both good news and bad news.

The bad news was that I had met up with him again. My initial resolve to despise this man had always remained the same, no matter how much time I spent away from him. I still had wonderful dreams about punching him in the face and leaving him in a ditch. And then I woke up and realized that it had not actually happened, resulting in a moan of frustration. This guy was everything I loathed. The blood on my beak served as a scorching reminder of the years that had passed before that moment. I felt those years boil up my throat, forming into a snarl. I had desired, so much, to forget about this man forever. But here he was, ruining my life in that special way only he could.

For a while, the two of us just glared into the other's narrowed eyes, wondering whose disgust was more intense. Currently, he was winning. But that might have been because my face was partially paralyzed.

"I'm gonna kill you," we said to one another in unison. I was surprised that we had the same thought running through our heads; however, it seemed his declaration had a little more weight to it. Maybe because he wasn't the one currently electrified. I held my glare.

"Starting to remember?" I asked him as his eyes began to twitch. I got the feeling that he was fighting a losing battle against a headache. And if that was the case, then he might have been recalling his human memories. That could be either very bad or very good. No matter the result, however, I would not relent. I couldn't care less if his memories were restored or not. There was only one difference between the two. If he did remember, it would only make it more satisfying when I took him down.

"Remember what…? Kid…?" he replied. He kept calling me kid and not Ventus. He was on the road to remembrance at any rate.

"LET VEN GO!" Lucan's voice rang out as a bolt of powerful electricity slapped Raikou across the face. And to my surprise, the attack almost held enough force to knock Raikou off his feet. Unfortunately, it was still an electric assault and it ended up coursing through Raikou and giving my wings a frying jolt. The familiar sensation of my entire body becoming a gigantic conducting wire made its way through my wings and rendering my insides scorched once again. The experience left me breathing hard again, the blood dribbling down my face suddenly bubbling. I opened my eyes to be met with a scene starring Raikou… actually cringing in pain, his claws digging into my chest for support as his body and mine both continued to spurn a flurry of sparks. I flinched in pain, but I was befuddled about how I was the one who recovered first from an _electric _attack. It was funny. When the roles had been reversed, with Lucan taking one of Raikou's attacks, Lucan hadn't even flinched. Not for one second. And say, was it just me, or was the power level of Lucan's Thunderbolt oddly familiar? It was almost… as powerful as Raikou's. But that was a matter I could focus on later. Right in that moment, there was one little fact I learned that gave me a smile. A malevolent smile that also made a geyser of hope erupt in my chest.

Oh, that's right. There was good news in this situation. This time, when he gave me that cold, unfeeling stare, there was something I could do that I had not been able to do before. A certain action I had always wanted to do, but thought I never could. Now that circumstances were different, such an action was not out of the question in any way. My smile got as wide as it could, my eyes focusing only on the sparks flying across Raikou's fur like cheetah across the savannah. He was still getting shocked. And as far as I was concerned, that was reason enough to smile. Because now I could perform that action that would give me an eternity of nothing but sweet dreams for the rest of my days.

Now I could fight back.

"What are you… grinning about… kid?" Raikou grunted as he squinted an eye open.

"My name-" I began as I wrapped the only part of my body that I could move, my tail, around Raikou's leg. Raikou realized it a second too late, giving me my shot. "-IS NOT KID!"

With all my strength, I flung my tail away from me, catapulting the lightning beast off of me. The moment his claws left my bleeding body, my limbs were unlocked and pushed myself onto my feet. Raikou, still sparking from Lucan's attack, was still the center of my attention. My brain gave my body a jolt and I opened my mouth wide. A gushing torrent of water climbed up my throat, spouting from my maw as a Hydro Pump. The water collided with Raikou, and I admit, I didn't expect the attack to do much damage on its own. But I had forgotten a fundamental fact of science. Water conducts electricity. And since Raikou's fur was still charged, you can imagine what I just did to him.

"GRAAAAAAAAAH!" he screamed in agony as he plummeted, landing with a distinct crunching noise. I smiled innocently. That felt good.

"Ven!" Lucan's voice drilled into my senses seconds later. And before I could turn my head, the electric rat was climbing up my wing and latching himself onto my neck. His paws scurried up my neck and his miniscule form sat on my head. His emotions found their way into me, revealing Lucan's sheer delight at seeing me delighted to actually be winning a fight for once. "You did it! You really did it!"

"Think so?" Raikou growled. Lucan let slip a silent 'meep' before scurrying around me, taking shelter on my back. I simply looked at Raikou, refusing to blink. My blood burned as it trickled off of me, but I was far from weakened. Not with all this anger and adrenaline sloshing inside my chest. Raikou, struggling, got to his feet. He roared, making me flinch just a bit. And my startled reaction was all he needed. His fangs were alit with electric sparks which foreshadowed the lightning bolt to come. It came, and, being unprepared, all I did was shut my eyes, waiting for the inevitable searing pain to come.

But it never did. I heard the crackling of thunder near my head and I felt the feathers around my neck stand straight up. However, something fortunate happened. Something I didn't quite understand at the time. You see, pokemon have certain natural abilities that we use in specific situations. The ability used in this particular situation was not mine. No, electric assaults are my weakness. I have no defense against them. But a certain friend of mine did have a strong defense against them. And that friend was currently hiding from the enemy using my body as a shield.

I opened my eyes and flinched again when I saw just what was happening. My eyes were met with a lightning bolt. No seriously, Raikou's attempt at roasting me alive was all that filled my vision. But that piece of devastating energy had never reached me. When I backed up a tad, I bore witness to what had to be the largest break in the laws of physics that I had seen on my entire adventure. The bolt had bent. I could observe the path that the attack had taken. Raikou's intended weapon had actually curved over my head and set a course heading right for-

"Lucan!" I shouted in glee, the rodent blinking in bewilderment. The lightning had aimed directly at his tail. And oddly enough, he didn't look in pain. His fur bristled a bit, but he seemed absolutely fine as his body continued to absorb every bit of electricity that poured into it. It was as if his tail had become an irresistible lightning rod. Neither one of us were aware of what was going on as we stared into each other's eyes. Of course, Lucan, being Lucan, simply proceeded to look more confused and shrugged his shoulders.

"Wh-What?" I whirled my head back to Raikou. He had ceased his attack and that wasn't the only thing that changed. It also gave me a good feeling to see his vengeful expression change into one of horror.

Wait a minute, back up a second. Lucan was absorbing electrical power? Now, why did that make my brain start working overtime? Something about Lucan's sudden ability simply screamed at me. A connection was being made. And all it took was Lucan being beside me to do it.

I closed my eyes again and focused my mind. I reached out to the medallions in the sky which currently held the doors of time and space wide open. I ignored the others and focused only on the lightning medallion that housed Zapdos' power. And then it hit me like a cinderblock. I knew why there was energy disappearing from that thing. The reason why only Lucan's medallion was being drained while the others seemed perfectly fine was becoming clearer with every second I stared at the object in my mind's eye.

All the power was heading right into Lucan.

In my head, there was a perfect visualization of the process. Bright yellow light, like liquid, simply flowed into Lucan's body. Specifically, into the tail. Identical to Raikou's electric attacks, Lucan took every ounce of power into his tiny form. I couldn't believe the irony. Lucan felt depressed because he thought the power of Zapdos was disappearing. But it was now with him more than it ever could be. He _had _Zapdos' capabilities.

"NO! IMPOSSIBLE!" Raikou seethed at me. I opened my eyes, Raikou's disbelieving expression filling my vision, forcefully bringing a satisfied smile to my face. "I… I… I must-"

"Kill me?" I asked. "That'll be really difficult since you can't hurt me."

"Grrr-"

"And cut the growling, please. It's getting old. And besides, I've been looking forward to this for a while now."

"Looking forward to-?" I never gave him a chance to finish that sentence. If he did manage to say something more, the sound was most definitely muffled under the sound of my wings carrying me a few feet in the air. And Raikou's words certainly wouldn't make it past my foot colliding with his face as I flew past him. I felt the sound wave of his jaw crunching against my foot. But I was far from done. As soon as I was done on that first pass, I spun around in mid-flight, seeing that the blow I had dealt had left Raikou rolling on the ground cringing in agony. Before I even considered giving him a moment's rest, I swung my tail like a meteor towards the earth, driving a tail spike right into the canine, resulting in a roar of pain. Good. He was really feeling every bit of torture that I wanted- nay, that I needed him to feel. I landed next to him, promptly stomping directly on the beast's neck and giving his half-opened eye a glare.

"GRAAAAH!" His cries held no sway over my hold on him. I was finally doing the damage I had wanted to do for so long. This beast, my stepdad, had deserved every lashing I gave him. So many years I had put up with the bastard. And now I had the chance to finally enact vengeance. Vengeance for everything he said about my mom, everything he said about me, and everything he said in general. I hated his voice most of all. His aggravatingly smug voice. The voice that just made my insides shred themselves to pieces in searing white hot loathing.

"I just want you to know something." I said, speaking directly to Raikou. I wasn't too worried about the others hearing what I was saying. After all, the only one who could understand me was Lucan. They would never know who this guy was. And I was okay with that. All I wanted was to hand this man everything I thought was coming his way. Raikou flinched under the grip of my foot. It was clear to me that the tables had finally turned. Now he was afraid. "I hate you more than anything. As much as you hate me. I know it's not _your _fault you became what you are. But you can tell whatever made you – tell that shadow that it can't send flunkies after me anymore. I'm not scared of you. I never will be scared of you. In fact, I should just-"

I almost pressed all my weight on him. I almost did it. I almost crushed him. I almost satisfied that gnawing piece of my heart that nibbled my conscience away. I wanted to do it. I wanted to obliterate the bones in his neck. But I couldn't do it. I don't know why. I wanted to. Oh, did I ever want to. But there was that nagging bit of better judgement in the back of my mind. Surprisingly, it was the same part that was telling me to hurt him as much as he hurt me. That logic was now working against me. That logic simply commanded me to relent. To not go through with that action that would satisfy my sudden bloodlust.

He never tried doing that to me. And that was the only reason I didn't. I had no other choice. So I said the words that made this decision permanent.

"SURGE OF SOUL!"

All my thirst for bloody vengeance disappeared with those words. The rage, the angst, and the scars of my past seemed to scrub themselves away as a rush of hope for the future poured itself into my veins. It felt… remarkable. Axel was right. As the blue aura of Surge of Soul appeared around me, I felt an immediate influx of positive thoughts. But one conquered the rest of them by far. The smooth sensation of relief seemed to cleanse my very spirit.

My doppelganger of cyan energy wrapped itself around Raikou and I shut my eyes, knowing what was coming. There was a massive flash of light that attempted to breach the barrier my eyelids made. I smiled. Right then and there, I let it all go. The thousands of thoughts that rejected everything I was becoming for what was familiar.

It was a strange time to be thinking about this, I know. But precisely at that moment, I knew what I was. Saying goodbye to Amy and the others would be rough. And when the time came, I knew I would never be more saddened. But on the other hand, a whole new world of possibilities was open now.

I accepted everything. I was a Lugia. Now and forever.

The light faded from beyond my eyelids and I stepped off the unconscious form of the reverted human, turning around so that I wouldn't need to look at him. I didn't need to. He was part of that past that I was leaving behind. I turned my head upwards and opened my eyes. The sky was blue again. My grin remained steady. I was ready. It was finally time.

"Z-Zack?" Amy's voice came from my side. I glanced downward, becoming surprised when I saw her widened eyes. "Are you… smiling?"

"Yes," I replied, translating my speech just as quickly as I uttered it.

"Oh. Are you… okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm better than I ever could be."

"Pfft. Are we done with the obvious romance?" Vanessa's smug question drifted into our ears. Amy rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. I felt Vanessa lean up against my opposite wing. It was amazing how confident a professional thief can be in casually addressing a legendary Pokémon that can crush her with a single step. Even Amy was more hesitant in talking to me like that as a Lugia. "I'd like to get this over with. So are we gonna go now? Or is there something else you want to throw at me?"

"You think fighting Raikou was _my _idea of a fun activity?" I retorted, placing my focus on the sky again. I was ready. Finally, I was about to meet my father. I was about to head into my new life. It was so overwhelming. But I was ready.

_Is that so? Well, we can't have that._

I froze. No. It couldn't be. It was that voice again. The voice that was the incarnation of coldness itself. A voice that made me tremble just from the thought of it. It spoke those words, and only those words, before it ruined my day again. The sky changed colour again. The purple seeped back like a blood stain into the sky, painting itself all over the cloudless yonder. Before I knew it, the entire sky was nothing more than a dark violet backdrop for the portal.

And then the wind began to pick up. At first, the change in wind intensity was tiny and meaningless. But the twisting currents surrounding me suddenly began to feel more and more forceful. It pushed back and forth on my body like a steamroller, until the eventual climax where it swept the two humans next to me off their feet. Upon seeing Amy fly into the vortex right past me, I attempted to grab her. Unfortunately, this only served to make my wings catch the air, carrying me on this roller coaster ride up towards the portal as well. And before I could even attempt to fight it, I felt something large hit me in the back. A quick scan with my mind confirmed this weight to be Jet who now clung to a pair of my back plates in a desperate attempt to not be carried away. But this caused another problem. When Jet came on, something had come off. Specifically, the yellow rat who had taken refuge there.

But I couldn't focus on that. I couldn't focus on much of anything except tumbling upwards through the atmosphere. I couldn't think. I was only rolling, twisting, and trying not to get torn apart by the violent turbulence.

"Zack help!"

"Ventus! You better-!"

"VEN!"

Amy, Vanessa, and Lucan's voices all screamed out for me to help them. But I couldn't. I could only catch glimpses of my friends as they experienced the same sensation of being transported towards the portal above, the infinite void beyond getting closer and closer. The ground got further away, the human world I had known becoming a mere speck in the distance as I was completely enveloped by the portal around me.

In my final act before leaving that land forever, I focused my power on the medallions many miles beneath me. I drew them towards me, the sparkling jewels awaiting my command. I did the only thing that I could for my friends. I sent the medallions their way. With all my telekinetic strength, I stuffed the Rainbow Medallion in jet's pocket, the Fire Medallion in Vanessa's, and the Ice Medallion in Amy's while I secured the Lightning one around Lucan's neck. But that was it. That was the last I was able to see of my friends in my mind's eye before we were consumed by darkness.

Have you ever wondered what it was like to be sucked down the drain of a bathtub? Imagining that creates an identical feeling to what I felt to be sucked through that portal. I was carried in one direction with the force of gravity, multiplied tenfold. Then, as soon as I had grown accustomed to that, the tunnel swapped directions, thrusting me into a new world of queasiness. My stomach, my head, and my lungs were completely winded. I almost threw up from how sick I felt. The turmoil didn't end until I had shut my eyes in concentration, finding an almost desperate hope that this unbearable roller coaster ride would end soon.

And it did. Eventually, gravity returned to normal and I fell like a comet. The atmosphere returned to normal, but I continued to fall. My brain was still locked, and it hadn't occurred to me to spread my wings and cease my descent. It was only luck that allowed my fall to be a soft one. I landed in water. The liquid surged around me, waves gently massaging my body. It relaxed the sickness I felt in my stomach long enough for me to open my eyes. And what I saw next made my mind lucid for a moment. I saw the distorted image of moonlight above the surface, but what was really worthy of interest was the shape of a human body silhouetted in that light. It was Jet. I looked around for the girls and Lucan, but even when I reached out with my mind, I could see they hadn't landed with us. I was confused, but that was small potatoes. I was… so tired. My eyelids were about to close. The blackness was entering my vision. But I needed to save Jet. He was already unconscious. I had to make a golden aura for him so that he could breathe. But my mind was already blanking. My strength was leaving my muscles. So… very… tired.

_Do not worry. I will save him._

_Dad? _I asked, the telepathic voice sounding familiar.

_No. I do not believe I am._

Lucan's landing after the portal had dumped him out was not as soft.

Lucan's trip was the same as mine. He had tumbled around in that waterslide of doom before being released and plummeting to the earth. He hadn't hit hard ground, but he had hit something not exactly cushioning. He felt himself hit a mattress of plastic and paper. And two seconds later, the smell made him realize what had happened. He had landed in a pile of garbage. He opened his eyes, seeing nothing but blue steel entrapping him. He clambered up, having much more energy than I, and climbed to look over the edge of the steel wall. He saw nothing but a grey and stone alleyway. That's right, he had landed in a dumpster.

"V-Ven?" he called out, extremely weak. He jumped over the edge. Unfortunately his legs were weaker than he thought and he hit the ground with a whimper, lying in a heap on the ground. He opened his eyes a squint and grunted in fear. Before his tiny eyes were a pair of shoes. He tried to get up, to scamper away, but suddenly, a pair of arms wrapped around the rodent's form, entrapping him in a gentle hold. He was perfectly ready to use Thunderbolt on this new presence, but something stopped him. He would have hit himself had his vitality not been removed from him by the portal. He would never dare attack this person. He adored him too much after all. Lucan opened his eyes once again and tried to smile. "H-Hey!"

"Hi there. Nice to meet you," the youth said with a smirk. "Name's Axel. Don't you forget that now."

**End of Chapter Fifteen.**

**So, I know this chapter is shorter than what you're used to, but there's a reason. My psychiatrist is helping as much as she can with this depression thing. I told her about my stories and how I like writing but couldn't quite focus on it. So she made a suggestion. Continue to write, but do it in small doses. So, this might be the new standard of how long I make these chapters for a bit. Sorry, but this is the best I can do for now. **

**Also, I did everything that I wanted to accomplish in this chapter, so there you go. Once again, sorry. Apparently, I'm getting a bit better, even though I don't FEEL like it. But it's good to know I'm making progress in someone's eyes.**

**Have a good day.**


	16. The Wrong World

**Chapter 16: The Wrong World**

"Come on! Wake up already!" Vanessa's voice scratched at Amy's eardrums. Amy instinctively swatted at the air above her head in her sleepy stupor, missing Vanessa by a mile. Whatever she was lying on, it was too comfortable and she herself was too drowsy to get up at the time. However, she greatly overestimated Vanessa's patience, since she proceeded to set the alarm on her watch for two seconds later and turn it on. "Rise and shine."

"_BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!" _

"AH!" The sound of the watch alarm blaring made Amy sit up right away, startled. After her eyes locked on Vanessa, who was currently kneeling next to Amy and shutting off her alarm, she squished her face into a sneer and got a fist ready. Vanessa rolled her eyes and stood up, flipping her bangs out of her eyes. Amy followed suit, brushing her legs off on the way up. "What was with the rude awakening?"

"Sorry. Being polite would waste too much time." Vanessa replied, tapping her foot impatiently. "Besides, it isn't exactly my thing, is it?"

"We're in agreement. Now what the hell happened? Where are we?" Amy almost tripped as she said this. The swaying floor beneath her being the cause. It was then that Amy actually bothered taking a look at her surroundings. She and Vanessa were on a boat, docked at a rather large port next to ships of varying sizes (even a cruise ship floated proudly in the water, bearing the name "S.S. Aqua) and purposes all overlooking an orange sea that reflected the evening sky. It was a rather small speed boat which had been outfitted with rather plush carpet. Odd choice for a boat, but trust me when I say that that would be the least odd thing that these two would see that night.

"Gee, I dunno, Stevie Wonder. Where do you think? If I didn't know better, I'd say, after the giant hole in the sky swallowed us up, I had just enough misfortune to land with YOU of all people in a port located in another dimension. Then again, what do I know? All I have are a pair of eyes and a working brain!"

"Hey! Shut it! At least I can go two seconds without pissing _someone _in the world off!"

"Whatever. As if I'd ever listen to the insults of a girl who dresses in boots during the summer."

"You calling me stupid?"

"So you do understand basic English. Remind me to give you a gold star later."

"Wha'd you say?"

"Oh, are you deaf now too?"

"ALRIGHT, THAT'S IT! YOU'VE HAD THIS COMING EVER SINCE I MET YOU!"

"Bring it on. Of course, due to my martial arts training, the fight's already decided. And guess what? I won. Hope you learned a lesson."

"I've learned not to let you talk before I clock you, you no good thief!"

"You want to say that again, bacon blob?"

"Excuse me," the girls were interrupted in the middle of another one of their episodes by the sound of a squeamish crying out from behind them. Both of them turned their glares towards the new presence who I have to assume immediately regretted his words. He stood on the dock the boat was tied to, a cooler being carried in one hand and a fishing rod in the other as he sweated all over his brown fishing jacket and orange trucker's hat. "I-I'm s-s-sorry to interject, but you're sort of standing in my boat."

"DON'T BUTT IN!" the ladies shrieked in unison before simultaneously giving the fisherman a shove. He toppled backwards, falling off the opposite side of the docks and into the water with a splash. With that done, the two turned back to one another, using their most intense levels of disgust that I never had the indulgence of being on the receiving end of. They just stood there for a while, attempting to see who would blink first. So far, neither wanted to give the other the satisfaction. It was a clash of steel-plated wills, and any passers-by felt the urge to flee quickly when they saw the looks plastered across the faces of these two warriors.

"Tch, this is stupid." Of course, it was Vanessa who eventually ended the universe's most epic staring contest of all time by scoffing at Amy. Amy's face just became increasingly red in response. It was a little while before either of them said anything to one another. If circumstances were different, the fight would have ended with Amy ceasing the conversation and talking to me instead, leaving Vanessa to return to smirking for no reason. But since it was just the two of them… let's just say that it was lucky that heads didn't roll. Surprisingly, it wasn't Amy who eventually relented, but Vanessa. The thief held her hand out to Amy in the manner that one might use to initiate a handshake. Amy, naturally, looked shocked and befuddled by this. "Look. I don't like being stuck with you either. But it doesn't look like Ventus was transported to the same place as us. And if it's just the two of us, then I suggest we put aside our differences, numerous though they may be, for now in the interest of finding your boyfriend so that we may move on with our lives. Alright?"

"First of all, he's not my boyfriend! Second of all…" Amy had to think over what 'second of all' really meant before she actually explained it. She wasn't sure about making any kind of deal with Vanessa. Would you trust a criminal? But in the end, even Amy could see the uselessness in fighting with her temporary partner. She took Vanessa's hand and squeezed it into a firm handshake, to which Vanessa was more than eager to squeeze against with just as much effort. "Fine. But only until we find Zack. Then I tear you apart."

"Hmph," Vanessa replied, removing her hand quite easily from Amy's grip, using it fix her bangs. "Very well then. A truce it is. Now, if I may, I suggest we get out of here before that fisherman we just knocked over sues us."

"Uh… yeah. Good idea." Without a second's hesitation, Amy and Vanessa both clambered onto the docks, quickly departing into the seaside city. At first, it resembled a port town with many warehouses and factories lining the sea shore. But as they stepped down the city blocks, it appeared to be much more. There was little hustle and bustle throughout the streets. There were hardly any cars on the roads. In fact, there weren't any cars at all. The only things using the roads were people. Mothers with their children, businessmen on their cell phones, and groups of women drinking coffee littered the streets. Banners flapped from inactive light posts as vendors sold their various marine-themed merchandise to the masses. The whole city had an air of celebration. If they didn't know better, Vanessa and Amy could swear that they were at a festival back home. But that was the strange thing to one of the girls.

"This is weird," Vanessa said putting a finger to her chin in thought.

"What is?" Amy asked as waved back at a young man who had given her a friendly 'hello'. "Seems like a normal city to me."

"Think for a second. Where are we right now?"

"Uh… a city?"

"Another WORLD. So why in the hell does it look exactly like a place from back in ours? Furthermore, if you were paying attention, Ventus' world is supposed to be inhabited ONLY by Pokémon!"

"Yeah, you're right, now that I think about it. So, what? Are you telling me we're in the wrong place?"

"That was the implication, yes. And I'm no expert on inter-dimensional travel, but if we're in the wrong place, then our first priority should be to see if the others are here so that we may open another portal. Hopefully, that one will take us to where we need to go."

"Yeah. I got that far. Thanks. So what do we do now? Can't exactly go knocking on someone's door and tell them, 'Hi, we're not familiar with this world of yours. Can we ask where the nearest portal is?'"

"Of course not. I'm not suggesting anything of the sort. I merely propose that we get our bearings and perhaps see if anyone has seen Jetty, Venny, or the rat."

"Do you have to call him 'the rat'?"

"What? It's what he _is. _Or did you not notice?"

"Didn't we just agree to be nice to each other?"

"I agreed to work with you. I never said I would be nice about it."

Amy was about to retort, when all of a sudden, something that felt like a balloon seemed to balance itself atop her head. Vanessa's face squished into one of disgust and Amy became quite apprehensive. She slowly turned her gaze upwards and jumped in shock. However, she quickly calmed down when she saw exactly what had decided to take refuge on her head. Whatever it was, it was a pink and chubby blob with two tiny feet that were almost completely hidden beneath most of its body. It had a dopey grin on its face as Amy looked into its dot eyes. There were two long leaves on its head that blew in the wind like a pair of flags.

"Hoppip! Don't bother her," said the voice of a little pig-tailed girl behind Amy who jumped up to snatch the pink thing off Amy's head. Amy turned around, relieved, to see the eight-year old holding her assailant in a rather rough-looking hug. Of course, the 'Hoppip' simply continued to smile like a stuffed animal. "Sorry. Hoppip really likes surprising tall people."

"You should keep your pets contained," Vanessa reprimanded her with a huff. "_Some _people don't appreciate it coming near them."

"Really? Like who?" the little girl asked, completely clueless as to the connotations of what Vanessa just said.

"Like me, you little brat! Now shoo!"

The girl let out a small, "Meep", before she ran to a group of friends and told them to run away as fast as they could. Vanessa flipped her bangs out of her face, making her see the ticked expression on Amy's face.

"Are you nice to _anyone_?"

"What do you think?"

"I can't believe you!"

"Really? I thought my point would've been driven home by this point."

"OKAY! TRUCE OR NOT, YOU'RE GOING-!"

Amy was interrupted again. This time, by human influence. An arm popped out between her and Vanessa. She looked to the owner, which was when a bouquet of ruby red roses was thrust in her face. The smell immediately overwhelmed her senses. She took the bouquet from the person before her, finally able to see his face without an army of flowers in her face. He was a boy about her age and height, wearing a rather fancy suit complete with a bowtie and a cape that flapped along behind him in the breeze. He had emerald green eyes and bright scarlet hair which was tied into a massive ponytail that reached his ankles.

"Pour vous, ma chérie," he said in a French accent and a certain degree of smugness. "To match your beauty."

"Uh… thanks," Amy said with confusion, not sure how to react to an overdressed man who had suddenly decided to hit on her. Vanessa still had her default response to every situation which was to cross her arms and roll her eyes like dice.

"C'est mon plaisir, ma chérie. Mais, don't remove your gaze from zee flowers." Amy stared at him, bewildered, before returning her attention back to the bouquet. She hadn't been looking at it for two seconds before an explosion of smoke burst from the paper holder. Thankfully, it didn't explode in her face, but it did surprise her enough to make her drop her gift. The girls widened their eyes as shapes and silhouettes began to appear as if from nowhere inside the puff of smoke. They were shaped almost like butterflies, and these shapes were confirmed as the dozen butterfly lookalikes emerged from the cloud. Amy and Vanessa just stood there with an unblinking stare as the small crowd of people surrounding them began to applaud at the spectacle that just occurred. It took a couple of seconds for Amy to realize that it was the guy in front of her who had put on that show. But instead of getting miffed at the idea of a bouquet exploding in her face, she started to join in with the applause. Classic Amy. The boy bowed and waved to his adoring fans.

"Ladies et gentlemen, zat was my 'Butterfree Bonanza'! I 'ope you enjoyed," he said, taking one last bow before allowing the spectators to go about their business. He then turned back to Amy and winked, resulting in a slight blush from her. "I apologize, ma chérie, if I startled you. But I could not bear to see you like zat."

"It's cool. Wait, like what?"

"Zee anger that was painted on your visage was not healthy or befitting of one such as you. Eet would distract from your beauty. And if zere is one thing I can always see, eet is beauty."

"Oh, stop that already!" Vanessa spoke up, completely irritated. And, if Amy's eyes weren't faulty, it appeared that Vanessa's face was a tad pink. But it must have been her imagination, right? "Okay, what's your game?"

"Game? Vhat do you mean?"

"You lookin' to rob her or something? Please. I know every trick and disguise in the book. The magician thing really isn't working for me. And furthermore, pickpocketing is the lowest form of thievery. Shame on you."

"Thief? You think zat I am a thief? Pish posh! I vould never sully my hands vith such a dishonorable activity!"

"Of course you are! Why else would you call Amy beautiful?"

"'Scuse me?" Amy snarled. The boy smiled and shook his head, shrugging.

"Is zis how zee people of Olivine City treat zeir guests? Very well. My business 'ere is done. So I shall say 'au revoir' to cette city, très vite. If zis is how I will be looked upon, zen I want no part of it." He began to walk away, but stopped after a couple of steps. Vanessa flinched as he snapped his fingers and twirled around, pointing directly at the thief. "My name is Apollo Ruanea. Know zee name well, for eet will soon be famous."

"Sorry, last time I checked, no one was into stage magicians."

"Oh, ho, ho, I am no mere magician." Apollo stuck his right arm out at his side. There was a slight 'ting' of metal on metal before three objects rolled out of Apollo's sleeve. The girls both gasped when they saw what they were. They turned to each other as realization hit the both of them like a train. The only difference was that Amy grinned slightly whereas Vanessa looked close to bursting out in rage.

They knew which world they were in.

"I am a Pokémon trainer. And an honorable Pokémon trainer would never stoop to thievery." Apollo said as he juggled the three red and silver spheres between his hands. He was grinning with an almost malefic glee as Amy and Vanessa continued to stare at one another in wonder. Apollo pocketed the orbs and simply looked at the ladies with a raised eyebrow, obviously wondering what they were doing.

Amy and Vanessa couldn't believe their strange luck. On the one hand, they were separated from Jet, Lucan, and I with no idea of their location. But on the other, they had ended up in a place where they could possibly locate an ally by simply checking a phone book. If this world even had phone books. I wouldn't know. I never checked. Amy was hopeful while Vanessa was almost in fear of events to come. This ally that they could meet up with wasn't exactly Vanessa's idea of a person to call on in times of trouble. And she dreaded every conversation she was to have with him.

"Excusez-moi? But vhat is zee problem?" Apollo inquired, his eyebrow remaining raised. "You both look like you 'ave seen a Gengar."

"S-Sorry," Amy replied, spreading an awkward smile across her lips. "We were just… remembering that great magic trick you just pulled off. Bravo."

"Oh, merci, ma chérie. I vish everyone vas as excited to see my magic as you." Apollo's lips looked like they were developing into a furious frown for a moment. But they quickly returned to a smiling status soon after.

"S-Something wrong?"

"Non," he sighed, "I vas just saying goodbye to a friend earlier today. He vill be leaving zee region soon, and I vanted to say goodbye vith an astounding illusion. But all he gave me vas… vas…" He was huffing and puffing by this point, and his face was suddenly beginning to resemble a tomato. "All he said vas, 'Nice'. CAN YOU BELIEVE ZAT?"

Amy and Vanessa stepped back a few feet. Amy was still showing her awkward smile in an attempt to calm the psycho magician down. Vanessa, on the other hand, was looking ready to knock this guy out if he got any more out of control. However, their worries were soon put on hold as Apollo seemed to instantly calm down, his breathing becoming even and his red face returning to a tanned pink colour.

"My apologies. I can get carried away. 'Zis individual is rather annoying sometimes. I can exaggerate occasionally."

"Yeah, I know what you mean. I know a couple people like that." Amy said. Vanessa sneered at her. "I get where you're coming from."

"Yes, vell, I suppose if he did not do so, he vould not be my friend, vould he? And besides, he has had quite a bit on his mind lately. Since he lost in zee semi-finals of zee Silver Conference, he 'as 'ad quite a bit to think about. He must go to an entirely new region, he must deal vith financial problems, and he must try to avoid all of zee people asking for zee autograph of Axel Igaul."

Vanessa's heart fell into her stomach as Amy's leapt with a new hope. Fortunately for the latter girl, the former was unable to stop her before she asked the question which sealed the professional cat burglar's fate.

"Axel? He's here? Where is he right now?" Amy questioned the magician with the brightest of grins plastered across her face. Apollo sighed and facepalmed.

"Mon dieu, I have done eet again."

"No. You don't get it! He knows us! I mean, we know him! I mean-"

"I know vhat you mean mademoiselle. But, plenty of people have told me zis when I tell zem I know vhere Axel is."

"What? But we really do know him! You jerk!"

"Ah, ah, ah. Allow me to finish. For a vision of beauty such as yourself, I vould be happy to give you directions."

"Really? Thanks. So, where does he live?"

"Behind moi," he said, pointing directly behind himself. Amy's eyes darted to the only tall building in the entire city, making her gulp. Vanessa's eyes wandered up the massive skyscraper, grimacing as she saw how fancy the architecture was. The front entrance of the place was decorated with a pair of polished glass doors standing over an expensive-looking velvet carpet. The walls of the apartment complex were lined with silver sculptures depicting sea serpents, dragons, and other powerful creatures who looked down upon the citizens below with a sense of pride. Overall, it looked like you would have to be a millionaire to live there.

"Oh, you're kidding me, you're kidding me, you're kidding me," Vanessa chanted angrily, over and over until her clenched fists began to tremble in utter frustration. "You're kidding me, you're kidding me, you're kidding me, you are SO kidding me! HE LIVES THERE? THE RAT BASTARD LIVES THERE?"

"Oui," Apollo replied. A rose protruded from Apollo's sleeve as if by magic and he began to sniff it pleasantly, like he was unaware of Vanessa's temper. He seemed to be enjoying it a bit, actually. "His apartment is on zee fifteenth floor."

"Fifteen… oh no…" According to Amy, Vanessa's eye began to twitch here. This was the first time she had seen the bandit start to lose her cool. So naturally, Amy admitted to laughing a bit. Vanessa denies this of course, but I prefer Amy's side of the story. Vanessa was counting the floors of the building. And Amy swears that she has never seen a more disturbed face in her life than the one Vanessa wore in that moment. "No… No… No… That can't be…"

"What?" Amy asked, stifling the urge to snicker immaturely.

"He implied… that I was just… a spoiled rich kid… multiple times… and he… lives… in… a PENTHOUSE APARTMENT?" Vanessa's entire face began to twitch. Amy laughed out loud then, as did Apollo. After her face turned a deeper shade of pink, Vanessa returned her expression to its normal confident smugness and marched forward, heading straight for the apartment. Amy and Apollo continued to giggle to one another, neither seeming to want to stop. Amy put her hand up for a high five and Apollo didn't leave her hanging.

"Nice meeting you," Amy managed to cough out as she caught her breath, shaking Apollo's hand gratefully. "Thanks for the info. And the magic show."

"C'est mon plaisir. I came to zee ocean festival to try zat trick, if I am being 'onest."

"If you don't come along, I'm going in without you!" Vanessa's cold voice called out from across the street where she was tapping her foot impatiently. Amy gave a wave to the magician before crossing the street, darting her way in between the festival goers along the way. She was still grinning mischievously at Vanessa who had taken notice by this point.

"Why are you staring at me like that?"

"No reason. No reason at all." Amy looked to the door of the apartment and felt concern well up in her chest. There was a lock on the door that seemed to only accept card keys. She pointed to it and turned to her current companion. "How do you plan to get in?"

"We call him, duh," Vanessa said sarcastically, mocking Amy by pointing to the buzzing board next to the door. On it were the names of various people living there and a button next to their names. Vanessa approached it, looking at the topmost name and tapping it with a rigid index finger. Amy looked closer and smiled in delight, which forced an agonized groan out of Vanessa. The name 'I. Axel' was posted there. Vanessa took a deep breath and hit the button with a degree of hesitation. She hesitated again before speaking into the microphone, as if she was hoping to God that there was a different guy with the name 'Axel Igaul' in there. But eventually, she bit the bullet. "Axel? Are you there? It's Vanessa. You know, the girl whose hotel you vandalized with your-"

"Not now!" Sure enough, Axel's voice burst from the intercom in the most serious tone that either of the two had ever heard him speak in. Unfortunately for him, this only incurred a slight growling from Vanessa. I don't know what it was about Axel that allowed him to get under her skin, but I hoped that one day, I would get it too. "I'm busy."

There was a beep from the other side, indicating that he had ended the communication. Vanessa simply grinned evilly and shut her eyes for a moment. She then reached into her left sleeve, a sound of rubber being squished coming from inside. Amy stepped back a bit just before Vanessa removed what looked like a pure white credit card from the sleeve of her jumpsuit. This theory was completely disproved the moment she stepped around Amy and towards the key card lock on the door. She immediately swiped the card through the reader. The lock then began to beep and click sporadically, a small amount of dark smoke emerging from it every two seconds. Amy backed away as the beeping became louder and louder, fearing that the thing might explode on her like the flowers did. The device was growing hot, the heat radiating from it resembling a fire. It hummed and shook violently as if it would blow up any second.

And then there was the sound of a 'ding'. The door opened wide not a second later.

"Uh…" Amy began as she apprehensively walked forward again. "Did you just unlock it with that card?"

"No. I broke it. Maintenance can deal with it later," Vanessa responded, slipping the card back into her sleeve.

"Where did you even get that thing?"

"You'd be amazed what some scientist can invent if you pay him handsomely enough." Vanessa opened the door, gesturing for Amy to go inside. Amy shook her head and headed in, not wanting to get caught breaking in. Vanessa followed, both of them looking upon the elegant foyer of the building. The floor, apart from the carpet they were standing on, was made of shimmering stone that you could probably eat off of. The walls were decorated with red and gold banners that just screamed luxury. Even the pair of elevator doors beneath these banners were painted expertly to resemble some pink feline being with a long whip-like tail flying through a forest. "Come on. We're going straight to floor fifteen."

Vanessa strode ahead without even waiting for Amy, clicking the up button on the elevator. The doors responded quickly, opening wide for the ladies to get in. The doors closed behind them and Vanessa wasted no time in clicking the button for floor fifteen. They spent the ride in silence, as they were not willing to talk to one another. And that was fine with the both of them.

"-which is why I want you to undergo this mission with me, Mr. Igaul. To the Sinnoh Region." The girls heard the voice of a fast-talking man as the doors of the elevator opened once again. My two friends exited quickly, looking left and right only to see a stairwell one way and a small hallway that led to two different directions. The right path led to another staircase while the left led to the origin of the voice that just spoke. "As you can see, it would be in your best interest to go."

"If you're telling me the truth-" Vanessa and Amy gave each other their individual looks of annoyance and joy. That was Axel's voice. The Axel they knew. There was no mistaking it. "-then you're saying that this 'Team Galactic' is the group that-"

"Yes. My evidence doesn't lie. Team Galactic are the ones who are responsible for your current condition."

"My 'condition' as you put it, is not a condition, Looker. It's what I am. And if you tell anyone-"

"Do not be concerned, Mr. Igaul. I do not plan to blackmail or influence you in any way with this information. I merely seek your aide. And I thought if you know who turned you into a-"

"-Hybrid." Amy and Vanessa exchanged shocked looks. Whoever Axel was talking to, he apparently knew a lot more about Axel then they did when they met him the first time. They suddenly began listening far more intently.

"Yes. A hybrid. I thought if you knew who did that to you, I suspected that you might be able to help me. You are a very talented trainer. I have seen your matches. And the members of Team Galactic are also very powerful trainers. If you help me, then-"

"Looker. You can stop trying to convince me. I'm on board. One thing though."

"Yes?"

"Who else knows that I'm a hybrid?"

"No one."

"I find it hard to believe that you wouldn't tell anyone info so juicy."

"Mr. Igaul. I'm a professional. And unless you wish it, that information will remain exclusively known by you and I."

"Keep it the way it is. I'll see you in Twinleaf Town."

"Thank you, Mr. Igaul."

"Call me Axel. Have a good day."

The girls heard heavy footsteps coming their way and Vanessa silently pushed Amy against the elevator doors and put a hand over her mouth. Amy's eyes stared at Vanessa angrily as a tall man in a trench coat went to the stairwell in the other hall, descending with a loud clunk at every step. As soon as his steps died away, Amy tore Vanessa's hand away and moved forward grumpily, eager to have someone other than Vanessa around. She marched up to the mahogany door of Axel's apartment and knocked vigorously.

There was the sound of a crash from within and a cry of, "Just a sec" from Axel. Then the door opened wide, revealing Axel in slightly less dirty clothes than they had last seen him in. He was currently brushing his teeth in an almost mad dash and had a suitcase held deftly under his arm.

"Yeah?" He managed to say as he continued to brush. "Wha'cha want?"

"Uh… hey," Amy said, waving in a friendly manner. Axel just kept brushing. "Remember me?"

Axel simply stared at her as the sound of his teeth getting cleaned became increasingly annoying to Vanessa's ears. His blank expression didn't falter for a second. He looked like a deer caught in headlights.

"Nope," he replied, reaching for the door like he was about to shut it in Amy's face. But Vanessa stuck her arm out and kept it open, growling like a rabid tiger at Axel.

"Alright, look Igaul! I want answers!" Vanessa advanced, looking the hybrid right in the completely blank eyes. "You leave us stranded and left to fend for ourselves in our world and the moment we randomly show up in yours, you say you have no idea who we are? I've had it up to here with you! Now tell me who you are and tell me now! Enough fooling around like an idiot! I know that's a concept that's difficult for you to understand, but I expect you to give it a shot!"

Axel simply continued to stare at her with indifferent eyes. He had stopped brushing his teeth though. For a few seconds anyway. He quickly went back to it and put the suitcase down behind him, the hand returning with a glass of water.

"Sorry. If we've met before, I'm afraid I don't remember. I hate to ask, but could we end this off soon? I've got somewhere that I need to be and there's packing to be done." Axel took a hearty swig from the glass, beginning to rinse his mouth right in from of my traveling companions. Needless to say, they were both rather grossed out by the unattractive behaviour.

"Oh, stop brushing your teeth already and help us, you bird brain!"

Axel stopped sloshing the water around in his mouth for a moment, his eyes widening slightly.

"What?" Vanessa asked when it became apparent that Axel had frozen himself in place after what she just said. "That's what you are, isn't it? You technically have the brain of a-"

Axel did a spit take. Right in her face.

Amy would've laughed, were Vanessa not making the face she was. The thief wiped the stuff off of her furrowed brow, her wrinkled nose, and her snarling mouth. She glared at Axel for a few moments, her fists beginning to shake in absolute fury. The sharp huffs of her breathing became a chorus of utter hatred for the silver-haired teen standing before her. Axel simply stared back with an expression that was slightly shocked, but it was still Axel, so he didn't look especially shocked. The blankness in his face remained even as Vanessa said what she did next.

"Okay… that's it…" Vanessa spoke through grinding teeth. She reached out with both her hands, as if she were about to strangle him. Fortunately, Axel had quick reflexes. He replaced his neck in this situation with a dishtowel, Vanessa grasping that between her fingers instead.

"I am so sorry," Axel said sincerely, bowing in a gentlemanly manner without a hint of a smile on his face. Vanessa was taken aback. Axel… wasn't acting like an idiot. In fact, he was being the exact opposite of what he normally was. And this behaviour became even stranger as he continued to speak. "I'm being really rude here. Please accept my most humble apologies. Obviously, we've met sometime before this. Unfortunately, it seems I'm unable to ascertain in my mind when that time was. I'm very sorry about spitting in your face like that. Please, come in and use whatever you need to clean up. And if there's anything at all I can do for you, please don't hesitate to ask."

Axel moved aside, smiling politely, so that his two visitors could enter. Vanessa's anger was instantly replaced with an overwhelming feeling of confusion. She wasn't even mad about the toothpaste in her hair anymore. She pointed at him with an eyebrow arched.

"Are you _sure _you're Axel Igaul?"

"The one and only. Please." Axel gestured once more for them to head inside. My two friends looked at each other, blinked simultaneously in bewilderment, and headed inside. Amy emerged in one of the most luxurious living spaces she had ever stepped in and Vanessa emerged in the least luxurious one she had ever seen. There was living area with a leather couch and a large flat screen on the wall. The only thing that might indicate a normal life being led here was a dog bed in the corner. A small lump of blankets was in it and, looking closely, Amy could see something breathing within. There was a small staircase next to it leading to two smaller rooms on the top. Adjacent to the living area was a kitchen outfitted with glittering steel appliances and expensive countertops. A group of glass screen doors made up the opposite wall, leading to a garden that would be insulted by the mere title of 'garden'. It was more like a forest outside with multiple trees and shrubbery blocking the view of any soil or sky above, making the lights in the room the only lighting available.

"You live here?" Amy asked as Vanessa wiped herself off with the dishtowel. "How do you afford this?"

"Hm? Oh, I get royalties whenever they air my matches," Axel answered, closing the door behind them.

"Matches?"

"Hm? Oh, you must not follow Pokémon battles. I participated in the Johto League Silver Conference. It's a tournament for Pokémon battles. I got in the top four this year. And next year, I plan on becoming the champion."

"Champion of what?"

"Huh? What do you mean? You don't know about the Pokémon League?"

"Well, obviously not! You know where we're from."

"But everybody knows about the Pokémon League. I hear they've even got one in places as far away as Unova. Where _are _you from, anyway?"

"What? You know! We're from another-"

"Amy," Vanessa interrupted her. Amy looked over, seeing Vanessa pointing at the lump of blankets in the corner. Amy inspected closer and her eyes lit up when she saw what she did. There was a yellow lightning bolt-shaped tail protruding from the back side.

"Hey, is that Lucan?" Amy went forward without waiting for an answer. She reached out to grab the blanket and tear it off the electric rodent, but Axel caught her arm.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Are you saying that's your Pikachu?"

"Mine? No, he's just a pal. And he's yours too, isn't he?"

"What're you talking about? I met him earlier today. He was about to collapse in an alleyway. That how you treat your Pokémon? 'Cause I gotta say, I'm not impressed."

"What are _you _talking about? It's Lucan, right? You know Lucan!" Axel gave her a shake of the head.

"No. I don't know 'Lucan', whoever he is. I don't know either of _you. _And I don't know how it's possible for someone to not know what the Pokémon League is!"

"Are you serious?" Vanessa nearly screeched. "Of course you know us! Did you already forget all the crap you put us through? I swear to God, if you keep messing with me, I will-"

"GROOOOOAR!" The ladies both jumped in terror the moment an ear-splitting roar was heard from behind them. Amy tripped up completely from the shock that the horrifying, animalistic roar gave her. They turned round, grimacing as they saw Axel's Dragon friend, Kenya, emerge from the open screen door. He stomped towards Vanessa, his eyes narrowing angrily as the thief began to back away. Before she had even thought about running, she was backed up against a wall, the dragon's face coming near hers in a most threatening manner. She cringed from the smell of his breath, clenching her teeth. The dragon was twice her size and even Vanessa, with all her bravado, had to realize when she was in trouble. As a desperate effort for escape, she punched the dragon in the stomach. Her fist bounced off of the dragon's scales like a spring. She gulped.

"Wh-What's wrong with you?" Vanessa shouted at Axel while trying to keep her cool. "Why aren't you containing this thing? Don't you have that ball you can stick it in?"

"Why would I do that?" Axel asked as he approached Kenya without a smile on his face. The dragon, upon noticing that his trainer was coming near, wrapped an arm around the boy protectively, like he was concerned that Vanessa might try to stab him in the eye at any second. She probably would, given the option. "Last time I checked, this was Kenya's home. Not yours. You're not the one who decides how things get done here."

"Gau! Gau! Dow!" Kenya said in the speech of a Pokémon resulting in another spike of terror welling up inside Amy and Vanessa due to the volume of the beast's anger.

"If you're wondering, he said the following: 'Don't go near my brother. You will never recover if you do'."

"Br-Brother?"

"Tha'd be me."

"It… It thinks your its brother?"

"No. He _knows _I'm his brother. That's not the number one question here, anyway. The number one question is one I've been wanting to ask ever since you came in."

"What is it?"

"How in the hell do you know what I am?"

"Huh?"

"How did you know that I've got bird DNA? Don't play dumb with me. I know what you were about to say back there. Why do you think I spat in your face? Tell me how you know I'm half Pokémon. Are you with Team Rocket? Did you just overhear my conversation with Looker? What is it? Tell me."

Axel's demeanor had changed again, only this time, it was to a personality that wasn't quite as pleasant to the girls. Amy attempted to turn and run for help, but another creature got in her way. And this one quite literally popped out of the shadows. It was as if it emerged from the wall itself. A purple furred arm popped out of the wall like a jack-in-the-box, making Amy freeze in place. A furred leg, just as purple emerged as well. The creature materialized into the room, more and more until it had revealed its form in its entirety. Whatever it was, it was shaped almost like a sphere, except it had a pair of arms, a pair of legs, a pair of pointed ears, a spiky back, a small tail, and a pair of sinister red eyes which were positioned above an evil grin.

"I'm sorry. You haven't met Anna, my Gengar, have you?" Axel said, a sound of sarcasm entering his voice. Amy stepped back, gritting her teeth. "Stick around for a while. I have a couple questions. For example, how do you know that I am half Pokémon?"

"YOU IDIOT! YOU SHOWED US! DON'T YOU REMEMBER?" Vanessa cried out in anger and slightly in desperation due to her situation. Axel didn't move.

"Why in the world would I do that?"

"I dunno. Why are we even talking about this! You were THERE! You KNOW why!"

"For the last time, we've NEVER MET! Now are you gonna tell me how you know, or am I just gonna have to assume that you're from Team Rocket? Or even better, that you're from Team Galactic?" Axel cracked his knuckles, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "And if that's the case, then I'll be having a whole lot of fun today."

"Outta my way!" Amy yelled at the ghoul standing before her. The ghost refused, simply standing in place. Amy's brow furrowed and she reached into her pocket. "Fine if you want to play it rough, then I'm ready."

"Amy, think about what you're doing!" Vanessa shouted. "We're in an enclosed space!"

"I don't care! This guy's gone psycho on us! It's only fair that I go legendary!" Amy removed her medallion from her pocket and clasped it tight in the palm of her hand. The Gengar's grin dropped for a moment as it tilted its head at the mystical object. "Frozen Soul!"

The temperature in the room suddenly dropped by about fifty degrees as the familiar navy blue light wrapped itself around her drawing the immediate attention of Axel and Kenya. Vanessa attempted to use this opportunity to escape, but Kenya was a step ahead with his tail. Nevertheless, their eyes were glued to Amy as she transformed. The light faded, Amy rose her head up and… she hit the ceiling.

Amy squawked in pain, holding her head with a wing. Axel looked completely dumbfounded. Vanessa became even more befuddled with the situation. Axel was utterly shocked to see someone transform into an Articuno right before his eyes. But that still didn't compute to Vanessa. He had seen this happen a couple of times already. But from his expression, this was the first time he was looking at it. The hybrid adjusted his glasses, as if that was what was causing the event.

"Huh. That's new," Axel said. Vanessa almost facepalmed again. Axel sounded almost… amused by this new development. Of course, after a few seconds, his attitude changed. His body was shaking. But not out of fear. He was shivering from the cold that Amy's mere presence was causing. Kenya too, looked disturbed by the temperature drop in the room. The only contradiction in this whole scenario was that Vanessa wasn't shivering at all. It was cold, yes, but not unbearably so. She took a glance at a thermometer hanging on Axel's fridge and really did facepalm.

"Seriously? It's room temperature!" She shrieked.

"HEY! He's cold-blooded and I'm an avian hybrid! We don't like cold! Besides, that's not what we should be talking about!"

"I keep telling you! We've already met!"

"And because of this little development," Axel pointed to Amy, "I'm a little more inclined to believe you! THAT'S what I want to talk about. But first, let's see if what you're telling me is true! Anna!" The Gengar nodded as she looked up at Amy with that sinister smile turned completely upside-down. "Hypnosis!"

The evil grin returned. The ghost began to wave its hands in front of Amy's face. Amy only stood there wondering exactly what was being attempted with this maneuver. Until the Gengar's eyes began to glow. Amy's gaze was instantly locked onto those eyes and remarkably enough, the Gengar began to speak. And as it did so, Amy found her eyes becoming increasingly heavy.

"Geeeengar. Geeeengaaaar." 'Anna' spoke slowly. Amy's body began to sway, her wings drooping to her sides. She hung her head gradually. And eventually, her talons gave way and she began to collapse.

"Now Psychic!" A shining blue aura appeared around Amy. The aura seemed to slow her fall, like she was suspended by some invisible sling until she was put down gently onto the hard wood flooring. Axel walked towards Anna and Amy.

"Thanks Anna."

"What did you do?" Vanessa asked with a hidden tone of curiosity. Almost like she was hoping to learn of a way to shut Amy up anytime she wanted.

"Relax. She's asleep. Now hopefully, I can clear up this misunderstanding." Axel turned to Anna. "Can you use Dream Eater and see if there's anything in her head involving me?"

"Gengar!" Anna nodded. She then literally floated over to Amy's head, placing her hands on it.

"What? Can't you read minds?" Vanessa was aghast. To her, he was going out of his way to make the situation even more inconvenient.

"Listen, whatever your name is, if you _really _knew me, then you'd know that I don't _like _to use my powers, okay? In fact, I _hate _doing it."

"Are you kidding me?" Vanessa groaned, fully realizing the inconceivability within this guy. Speaking of the crazy man, his only response was to smirk.

"GENGAR!" The ghost was apparently done with her work, since she pulled away from Amy's head with a look of utter horror stricken upon her face. She floated to Axel and started speaking to him. "Gengar! Gengar! Gen! Gen! Gar!"

"Uh huh. Uh huh. Uh huh. Ha! That's hilarious!"

Their conversation went on like this for a while. Axel sat patiently and listened to the phantom Pokémon recount everything she had seen inside Amy's mind. Amy was still breathing peacefully the entire time. And, for what felt like an hour to her, Vanessa sat there under Kenya's watchful guard, being forced to breathe the air that was laced with the lizard's bad breath.

"Wow… that's really amazing…" Axel finally said, making Vanessa sigh in relief. If he was done that might mean that he would call the dragon off. And luckily, that was exactly what he did. "Kenya, you can stop that now. She's had enough."

Kenya huffed angrily at that command. He looked like he wasn't going to follow it. All he was doing was narrowing his eyes further at Vanessa. He had met his match though, as Vanessa was giving him a glare that was just as uncomfortable. Learning how a Dragonite's breath smells will do that to you. But he inevitably conceded, walking away and returning to Axel's side which gave Vanessa what she had wanted all day. An opportunity to yell at Axel.

"WHAT THE HELL?" she shrieked. "We come in here, expecting you to be a nice guy for once and give us a hand, and what do you do? YOU TRY TO KILL US!"

"I'm sorry."

"Don't try and trick me with that again, Igaul!"

"I'm serious this time." Axel said in complete monotone. Vanessa arched an eyebrow. "I apologize. It's been a rough couple of weeks. Anna told me why you guys are here. Because you were right. You have met me once before."

"See?"

"Yes. I do. But I don't think you do."

"Oh, not this again. I don't have time for that!"

"Time. That's exactly the problem. Time."

"You're not making any sense again."

"You see, you've met me. I know that now. But I haven't met you yet."

"… I'm sorry. I had crazy in my ear. What was that?"

"Maybe this'll make more sense. Did I ever stop blabbing about time travel?"

"You just LOVE bringing up tangents I hate, don't you?"

"Gosh, you're stubborn. I'd be happy to be explain, but do you have anything to wake her up?" Axel asked, gesturing towards the Articuno asleep on his floor.

"I know one way," Vanessa said, hitting a button on her watch again. It beeped loudly, resulting in Amy snapping wide awake.

* * *

"So you see, I think this is how it is." Axel explained a few minutes later after managing to calm the pair down and assuring them that he was done threatening them. Kenya sat in the corner next to the slumbering Lucan, looking rather crossly at Vanessa as though she had eaten his dinner right in front of him. Axel stuck his tongue out of his mouth as if he was under amazing difficulty as he scribbled on a piece of paper. When he was done his work, he turned it around so that the two across from him could see his work. They cringed at the crude wiggly line with the letters A, B, and C written at the beginning, roughly in the middle, and at the end. "What? I never said I was an artist. Now, based off what Anna told me, let's say this is a timeline of my life. Anna said I time-traveled. I admit, I don't exactly _believe _you yet, but I have time-traveled before, so I know it's possible. If I've got this right, then I think that these memories of yours where I'm telling you all about myself occur here at point C, the end of the timeline. From what's in your head, I can determine that I knew almost everything about what was going to happen. And I would only know that by letting you tell me."

"Huzzat?" Amy blurted out. "I don't get it."

"If this is all true," Axel continued unhindered by Amy's confusion, "then the only logical explanation for me knowing everything is that I acquire the information from you guys after you've lived it. So right now, at this moment, where you and I are both ignorant, we're here at point A. This Axel you're looking at right now is not the same one who left you guys back in the hotel. That's my future self, in the case that this is all truthful. Keep in mind, this is all information I got told by my Gengar and I don't quite take this as fact. For all I know, this is some elaborate fantasy inside your head."

"Why in the world would I make that up? You've _seen _me transform!"

"Don't ask me, I'm not the crazy one here." Amy and Vanessa rolled their eyes. "Anyway, getting back to my brilliant theory, you may be wondering about what Point B is." They weren't. "Obviously there's still information I don't know. And neither do you. This is the future that neither of us has experienced. That'll be fun, huh?"

"Fine. Whatever," Vanessa said, clearly having missed every word of that. "Are you gonna help us now?"

"Huh? Why would I do that?"

"Excuse me?"

"Do I have proof that these events in your head are absolute fact?"

"WHAT? You've seen dorkus over here morph into a bird! You've seen our medallions! How is that not physical proof?"

"What are the medallions?"

"… Scusie?"

"What are the medallions? I think you've misinterpreted what I've been telling you. All I know about this situation is what AMY has seen of ME. That being the incident in the hotel room where I walked in with the other guy with my awesome hair colour and you Vanilla."

"Vanessa!"

"I don't care. That's all I know. And that babbling about time travel as well as this whole timeline theory? That's all conjecture based on my previous experience with time travel. Before I help you, I need actual INFO. Because if I have no idea what's happening, then it's unlikely that I'll be able to lend YOU a hand. Look, I'm not throwing you out on the street. After all, it's not like I _totally _distrust you. You knew I was a hybrid without having any association with Teams Galactic or Rocket. That at least warrants my attention. So tell me everything. From the start."

Vanessa paused. "You really don't know anything do you?"

Axel shrugged and smiled. "For once in my life, I have no idea. Why don't we find out together?"

"I'll pass. You got a shower in this place?" Axel pointed upstairs. "Good. Amy, you can explain."

"WHAT WAS THAT?" Amy shrieked.

"I'm taking your bedroom too. It's getting late, I'm tired, and you owe me one for not removing that _lizard _from my face sooner!"

Kenya twitched angrily as Vanessa slipped past Axel and sauntered up the stairs with her usual grace. She slammed the bathroom door which was Amy's green light to let out her trademark roar. She stamped her foot angrily, her fists trembling with pure frustration. However, she calmed down rather easily as Axel pat her shoulder. She whirled around, seeing Axel actually grinning about what just happened.

"Don't be too concerned. You don't _mind _talking about it, do you?"

"Well, no, but she just took your bed. That's not something a guest generally does!"

"I never use that thing. I was gonna sell it online."

"Sell what? You mean your BED?"

"Yeah."

"Then… what do you sleep on?"

"No offense to anyone in this room, but he's a pretty big pillow." Axel nodded his head toward Kenya. "And I'll show you."

Axel beckoned Amy to follow, opening his screen door and heading out into his garden. Amy went out as well, following Kenya, and closed the door after her. Almost immediately, she was overwhelmed by how real this forest _felt. _She could smell the fresh summer dew on the grass beneath her feet. Starlight burned between the leaves above. No noises from the city below reached her. There was only the nature surrounding her and the footsteps of the giant dragon and the hybrid ahead. She followed, squeezing between two trees to emerge in a clearing with a pond the size of a swimming pool sitting front and center. What was even stranger than this was that the thing was obviously originally built into the rooftop, but it looked completely natural. Axel sat near the edge. Kenya sat next to him. Both of them stared at the water, seemingly entranced by the almost undistinguishable ripples. At that time, Amy heard a rustling behind her. Her heart wrenched and she turned around, finding nothing within the shadows.

"Relax," Axel said contentedly. "It's just the family. They're a bit restless tonight."

"Family?" Amy asked.

"Yeah. Like Kenya here."

"Don't tell me they're all giant dragons."

"And wha'd be wrong with that?"

"Erm… nothing."

"It's okay. I've only got two dragon Pokémon. Maybe I'll find some others someday. Anyway, we have matters to discuss."

"R-Right. This is where you sleep?"

"Yes. But I didn't mean that. I meant your story."

"Oh, right. So where do I start?"

"From when you met that silver-topped kid. What was his name? Vantos?"

**End of Chapter Sixteen.**

**This is the first time I've written a chapter that was almost entirely in third person. I've never done a full chapter like that before, so tell me what you think. I hope you enjoyed the chapter. **

**Thank you very much for reading. **


	17. Regrouping

**Chapter 17: Regrouping**

"-and then Zack changed the lightning... tiger... thing back into a person." Amy explained to Axel, the full moon hanging high above them. Axel paid attention to every one of Amy's words as he leaned against his dragon. Kenya was carefully watching Amy, but not for the same reason. He had an arm curled around Axel, possibly thinking that Amy was in the same boat as Vanessa in that she would like nothing more than toss Axel off the top of this penthouse. "Then the portal sucked as all in. And I think something went wrong. We weren't supposed to end up here in your world. Zack's world is supposed to only have Pokémon in it. So we're kinda stuck. That's why we came to you for help. 'Cause I got no clue what to do now."

"Hmmm," Axel murmured, deep in thought. He adjusted his glasses and looked up at the moon, yawning. "That's quite a story. And truly too ridiculous to be a lie. There's something I don't get, though."

"Yeah? What?"

"What do you expect me to do about it?"

"Sorry, what?"

"I'm not the type of guy you wanna come to for lessons on quantum physics. What? Did you think I have a portal that I like to use for Sunday picnics? Sorry. I got nuthin'."

"Well, no. But..." Amy was grasping for a reason why she came to Axel for help. She hadn't spoken more than ten sentences to the guy before this. Now that she thought about it, she really had no reason to trust the guy so willingly. "... I dunno. We know you, I guess. That's better than being in a whole new place without knowing a thing, right?"

"There's only one problem with that sentiment. I have no idea who you are. Hence, Kenya here almost killing Vanilla in there. Of course, there's a way to fix that."

"Huh? What're you talkin' about?"

Axel leaned back some more, using Kenya as a pillow. "We got about an hour left before I go to bed. Tell me about yourself."

"Huh? Erm... okay." Amy rubbed the back of her head in embarrassment, not expecting the hybrid to be so forward. "Not much that I didn't tell you already. I live with my mom, my dad, my dipstick little brother Leo. My school's a total bore. Not much other than that."

"Uh huh. Now I have to wonder something. Before you met Zeke or Vantos or whatever his name was, you were a rather normal girl, wouldn't you say? So, I have to ask. Why did you help him out?"

"That's a weird question. He was passed out on the beach, so what was I supposed to do?"

"That seems like a reasonable response. But what about after you found out what he really is?"

"Hm?"

"Why did you help some bird monster who never did a thing for you?" Axel became monotoned again, his relaxed expression fading. "I'm confused as to why a girl who had only known what's normal would come to the aide of something so unfamiliar. How, oh how, did you resist the urge to run from him and never even think about the incident again? Enlighten me. I'm a tad curious."

"Whoa whoa. Slow down there! What urge? I never wanted to let my best buddy go it alone! I wanted to help him. What kind of person do you think I am?" Amy stood up, her voice getting louder and louder as she handed her counterargument to Axel. Anger bled onto her face as Kenya began to growl defensively at her. "He's my friend. And I'll always help him out! No matter how much your dragon buddy snarls at me! What did you think? That I-"

"Fascinating," Axel said, looking down into the water pensively. He seemed not to care about Amy's outburst, finding the ripples in the water more interesting. Reluctantly, Amy drained the sudden rage out of her face and sat down, warranting Kenya to stop growling.

"What about you?" Axel looked up at her, arching an eyebrow. Amy narrowed her own. "I don't know a thing about you."

"Myself?" Axel looked amazed by the mere mention of the idea. Almost as though the concept was the most peculiar thing he'd ever heard. He returned his gaze to the tiny pond, his eyes following some invisible fish beneath the surface. "Now that's a toughie."

"Um... why?"

"BWAHAHAHA!" Amy jumped back as Axel suddenly burst out laughing. He turned his gaze to the sky, Amy following suit. Her eyebrows rose slightly when she saw "No one ever asks me. That's why."

"Oh." There was silence. The two humans stared into the sea of stars above, the Dragonite not keeping his eyes off Amy for a second. For a while, it was calming to Amy to be looking at these unfamiliar constellations. They shone far brighter than any she had seen in her world. The shapes they created were far more prevalent. It was strange. Most of these shapes shared a resemblance to animals of some sort. This wonder, however, soon lost its lustre to her when she realized that Axel wasn't answering. "Uh... hello?"

He had fallen asleep.

"HEY! WAKE UP!"

"Hubbadawa?" Axel spluttered as his eyes blinked open. He yawned. "Right. Sorry, I just... don't do... late... nights."

"Can you start, please? I kinda need your help. Vanessa and I can't find Zack and Jet on our own."

"Yeah, sure. I can find 'em, but I can't do it myself. I need to... erm... call up an old friend."

"Why did you stop before you said that?" Amy crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow, concerned about Axel's hesitation. Axel shrugged.

"Well, y'see, this friend of mine can find your pals in a heartbeat... but... she's not exactly someone who... keeps focus. To put it lightly."

"What does that mean?"

"You'll see." Before giving her a warning, Axel stuck a pair of finger in his mouth and whistled with a volume that rivaled a megaphone. Amy covered her ears and cringed. Unfortunately, that wasn't quite an effective defense. Axel's face turned beat red as he exerted more and more effort into this whistling that didn't seem to be doing anything. Eventually, he stopped, putting a smile on his face like he'd done nothing wrong. Needless to say, Amy wasn't impressed.

"Pika!" Amy was about to march over and smack Axel for a lack of warning, but the idea left her head the moment she heard a familiar voice speak up behind her. She whirled around, seeing Lucan burst from the darkness, his fur shining bright along with the medallion draped around his neck.

"Hey there Lucan!" Amy greeted him as she held out her arms, clearly expecting Lucan to come to her. On the contrary, he gave her a passing wave before getting on all fours again and dashing towards Axel. He leapt at the hybrid, jumping into the surprised man's arms.

"Pika, pika. Pikachu!" Lucan said to Axel before lying back, using him as a cushion. Axel looked down at him with a raised eyebrow, probably wondering why this Pikachu was so affectionate towards him. He glanced over at Amy for an answer and she merely shrugged.

"Well, hi... Lucan," Axel said awkwardly.

"Pika!"

"Yeah, yeah, nice to see you too. Say-" Axel never finished that miniature conversation. Because about two seconds later, Lucan was ripped from Axel's grip. The Pikachu was literally shoved aside by another small creature seeking the hybrid's attention. This left the mouse dazed and confused as he landed on the cushiony grass, especially when he saw what had knocked him away. He stood up, tilting his head at his assailant.

It was another Pikachu. This one was snuggling up to Axel with far more love and adoration than Lucan himself could ever muster. It looked over at Lucan with the hugest grin on its face, giggling slightly when it saw his dumbfounded expression.

"Two Lucans?" Amy asked, looking from one electric rodent to the other. Her face reflected Lucan's confusion.

"BWAHAHA!" Axel laughed again, making Amy start to realize why Vanessa didn't like this guy so much. He then picked up the new Pikachu and held it out in his hands. The Pikachu giggled sweetly as he stared at it like a parent would at their mischievous child. "Not quite." Axel set the Pikcahu down in his lap, poking it gently in the forehead. "Don't try and trick me now. I. Know. That's. You."

"You know that's who?" Amy asked just as the face of the new Pikachu fell. It seemed that Axel had spoiled its fun just by knowing who it was. But it quickly perked up again, smiling and shrugging just before it began to glow. Its fur shone bright, Amy feeling the need to shut her eyes from the intense light.

Then its shape began to morph.

I awoke with a thoroughly numb mind. My head was completely empty as my eyes opened, my head resting on my tail. I soon realized that I had curled up comfortably on… sand? It felt like sand, but something was off. My eyes stung as they opened. It had obviously been a while since they had seen light, since they hurt like hell from the mere flickers of it filtering in from the surface above. Wait a minute, from the surface? That's right, I had landed underwater after the portal dropped me off. This realization led me to a question.

_JET! _I screeched mentally as I shut my eyes searching for him nearby. The anxiety gurgling in my lungs suddenly dissipated, however, when I saw where he was. He was above the surface. I sensed him sleeping rather comfortably up there, actually. The situation left me confused. Had I put him there? No, wait, it wasn't me. It was that voice that sounded almost like my father. It was all coming back to me by that point. The memory of falling into the ice cold water seeped back into my mind, sending shivers through my bones from the thought of it. The water surrounding me, however, was nothing of the sort. Water as warm as that of a hot tub, whirled around me, making it simple to understand why I had slept here. I powerfully flapped my wings, propelling my ascent in the remarkably pleasant salt water.

My head emerged from the drink, the sound of crashing water drilling itself into my skull. I spun round in the water, my eyes becoming barraged with ocean spray upon doing so. I looked up, finding the reason for the deafening sound. A massive waterfall poured from the granite wall of the cavern, thousands upon thousands of gallons of water diving gracefully into the pool beneath them as gracefully as a fountain, but with the force of a runaway train. A soft white light shone behind the curtain of currents, illuminating the cavern slightly. Stalactites hung like icicles from the ceiling. The intense humidity absorbed into my feathers, making my own body start to feel like a sauna. I turned round again, finding a cave opening, leading to nothing but darkness. There was a semi-circle of land occupying the area just around this opening, a pile of sand atop it. And on top of that was the slumbering Jet.

I was confused. I recalled seeing moonlight when I was dumped out of the portal. But no such light could be seen here. Which meant whoever saved us had retrieved Jet from the ocean and took him to this cave. Not only that, but, for an encore, our saviour had had enough strength to get me in here as well. I only had one question on my mind. Who had found us stranded out there?

_I believe, _a voice spoke telepathically to me, _that would be me. _

I should have been disturbed that someone had easily infiltrated the confines of my mind without my notice. However, I was put off guard by the familiarity that the voice emitted. It sounded nearly identical to that of my father's. So much so that, for a moment, a smile tugged at my maw from the possibility that this voice really could have been him and that I really could have found my way home at last. But the memory of my entry into this world clattered into my brain like a bowling ball once again. The smile faded as I looked towards the waterfall, the origin point of this new presence. I nearly jumped out of my skin when I saw two very familiar blue lights that resembled the shape of eyes staring at me from the other side. It was strange. This was definitely not my father and yet this person had his voice and those were definitely his eyes, piercing right through me. I couldn't mistake that stare.

That, though, was far from the end of the similarities between this being and my dad. He emerged from the waterfall, spiking my confusion up another few notches. Whoever this was, he wasn't just similar to my father. He looked _exactly _like him. The Lugia burst from the waterfall as if it were nothing, hovering gracefully above the water before submerging most of his body, eyes locked on me. I gulped audibly. Not just of how disarming it was to have someone who looked like him and had the exact same impenetrable defenses surrounding his mind. He was also giving me the same uneasy intimidation just by being around him. And yet still, like my father, he exuded that trustworthy aura that came along with his presence.

"You are Ventus, correct?" This Lugia said in a calm manner. I got the feeling he sensed my anxiety, but it didn't help since he somehow knew my name. Then again, mind reading was a Lugian ability.

"Y-Yes?" I spluttered, my intimidated voice not being kept under control in the least. "Who-?"

"I am insignificant," he replied to the unasked question. "You need not concern yourself with my identity, Ventus. That is not the matter of importance."

"Oh, I… see." I didn't. I really didn't.

"Ventus. You are not meant to be in this world."

"Huh? But aren't we-?"

"No. In this world, humans exist alongside Pokémon. The portal you were flung into ejected you into the incorrect location."

"Oh. Wait… so you're-"

"I am indeed a Lugia of this world."

"R-Right. But, why did you save-"

"Ventus. Please. Do not be so agitated." I gulped. He had the same affinity for telling me when I was being too tense as my father as well. "I would never, in any way, attempt violence upon you. I simply wish to help."

"You… You do? So does that mean you know a way to get to… my world?"

"Unfortunately… no." My heart sank. I wasn't sure what the likelihood of finding another portal was. But in a brand new world, the odds were slightly against me. "However…"

"However?" I asked as he hesitated.

"However, there is someone who has the ability to help you. I am just here to inform you that there is no need for concern. This individual is on his way to our location."

"Um… forgive me for being… um… impolite. But who are you? And why did you-?"

"I am merely a Lugia. There is no need to concern yourself, Ventus."

"But-"

"Also, as for your second question…" he paused, deep in thought. He smiled, looking at me with a very familiar stare. "…you remind me of my own son."

"You have a… son?"

"Yes. Far away. But not quite as far as the distance between you and your father. I can only imagine the pain he goes through now. I saved your friend Ventus. And I regret that that is all I shall be able to do for you."

I blinked quizzically. He said that rather openly. He was more than willing to spill his innermost feelings at the drop of a hat. He seemed to sense my confusion as he smiled at me like I was a child. Well, technically, I was but that's not the point.

"Pokémon are not as secretive as humans are, Ventus," he explained. "I suspect that is something you shall grow accustomed to doing as well once your transformation has been completed in a few hours."

"I really don't think I could be that-" I didn't even complete the thought in my mind when I stopped myself. What did he just say? "I'm sorry, did you say it was happening… in a few hours?"

"Yes. Based on the progress I have seen in your mind, the transformation is almost complete."

Butterflies stormed my stomach. I took a deep breath and exhaled just as slowly. I supposed it was time. It was reassuring that I wouldn't have human concerns in the next few hours. But the thought of changing everything about my life completely still didn't sit right in my mind. Hell, any little change is scary. And this wasn't any slight shift in life's events.

I hardly had time to worry though. Within seconds of these redundant thoughts seeping through my skull, I heard a noise from behind me. The sound of stones clattering whispered to me from far away. I looked around, seeing a faint light making its presence known from the opposite end of the opening near Jet. I squinted and investigated the approaching light telepathically. A gnat of happiness began leaping around inside my belly. Those were Amy's thoughts I sensed coming this way. Upon further inspection of the area, I found Vanessa's thoughts and Lucan's as well. I focused my mind even further. There was definitely another person with them, but this individual's brain was locked like a bank vault. And somehow, even that tight mental security felt somewhat… familiar.

I turned toward the Lugia again, finding a peculiar sight. I blinked in confusion as the legendary beast recoiled from the cave opening next to Jet, casually swimming towards the waterfall exit. His face expressed concern and his thoughts followed the same pattern. He shut his eyes and issued the single word "goodbye" through telepathy. Without even an explanation, the Lugia launched himself from the lukewarm waters, hovering in front of the waterfall exit before plunging through the raging downpour and into the world outside. The dials in my head all switched to confusion. He was rather quick to flee. Of course, when I saw who it was who was with Amy and the others, I felt like leaving too.

"Zaaaaack! Over here!" Amy's voice called me back to reality. She waved at me from across the soothing pool of water as Vanessa roused Jet with her watch's alarm. Jet, naturally, nearly jumped out of his skin as he bolted upright. As for Lucan, he was looking rather content while sitting on the shoulder of the man who made my face fall every time I looked at him. The only thing that seemed to be on Axel Igaul's agenda as I stared at him was to give me an incredulous look. Questionable, but not strange considering who this look was coming from.

"Hey… everyone!" I greeted them as Jet rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. Axel simply kept his gaze fixed on me, stroking his chin as he did so. I rolled my eyes and instead returned my focus to the words of the Lugia. He did say that the person who had the power to send me back to my world was coming this way. Apprehension and frustration gurgled through my blood. Unless a wizard was standing right behind Axel, that meant only one thing. My glaring eyes locked onto Axel. Unfazed, the hybrid continued to stare back at me. Axel could have obviously gotten me back to my world at any time. Time travel or not, outright refusing to make a way back home when I _really _needed it was rather infuriating. "Hey!"

"Uh…" Axel stuttered, still gazing at me with those unbelieving eyes. He pointed to himself. "You talkin' to me?"

"Yes, I'm talking to you! Why didn't you transport us to my world right after getting me out of that lab? Why didn't you-?"

"Oh, this again. Look, I'm tired of explaining it, so here." Axel grabbed the shoulders of a non-amused Vanessa and dragged her in front of him, using her as a human shield. Her angered eyes darted over her shoulder, looking directly into the grinning Axel's eyes. Her hands curled into fists and her face screamed the words: 'what do you think you're doing?'

"What do you think you're doing?" Vanessa rasped.

"Here. Just read her mind and everything I told her last night will be downloaded right into your mind, right?" Axel explained knowingly.

"WHAT?" Vanessa screeched, looking over her shoulder angrily. "Why don't you give him _your _mind for that?"

"Because my mind is off-limits!"

"AND MINE ISN'T?"

"Glad you understand."

"No I do not understand! I will _never _understand!"

_Oh for the love of-, _I thought as I peered into Vanessa's head, being careful to only check the memories of the previous night and no further. The images flashed before my mind's eye in a blur, but the information became vivid in my memory. In an instant I saw the events of the meeting between the girls and Axel. I saw Axel's ignorance as to our identities as well as the point A, B, and C timeline Axel had set up, both in fast-forward. I stopped watching at the point where Vanessa went to bed for… obvious reasons.

I opened my eyes, seeing and hearing Axel and Vanessa continue to argue with one another. The thief was apparently unaware that I had just done mental espionage in her head. So, in an effort not to draw forth her wrath, I did the first rational thing that came to mind. I immediately lied to her.

"Alright Vanessa, you've made your point," I said, making sure to translate my own words. I looked at Axel and he raised an eyebrow. Vanessa gave me an angered and quizzical glance. "I just read Axel's mind."

Vanessa simply arched an eyebrow of her own. Soon after, she seemed to take my word for it, proceeding to shake Axel off her. Axel smirked, understanding creeping across his face. Fortunately, Vanessa seemed to forget that I was never able to read Axel's mind.

Speaking of the hybrid, he shoved Vanessa aside and thrust out his hand, as if he was expecting a handshake. I tilted my head at him and hesitantly offered a wing. He shook it as best he could, sporting that usual dumb and infuriating grin.

"How's it goin'?" he asked. "Nice to meet'cha in person there Zeke."

"Zeke?" I replied.

"It's not Zeke! Weren't you listening?" Amy spoke up, shaking her fist at Axel. "It's ZACK!"

"No, actually, it's Ventus," I sighed.

"Yeah, that's right. Vantos." Axel responded cheerfully.

"Ventus."

"Close enough." I didn't think that that was his decision. "So, Vantos. I heard you need a ride to your world, am I right?"

"Yeah… you know a way?"

"No. But we've got someone who does! Say hello!"

Axel then gestured to his right. I checked to see what he was indicating… and found nothing. I turned three hundred and sixty degrees, hoping to take a look at anything he might possibly be driving at. Nothing of interest was found besides my usual friends. I gave Axel a look. I wanted him to stop kidding around with me. From his perspective, we had just met and I would think he would be a tad more intimidated by a legendary beast.

"Oh no. Not again!" Axel groaned, facepalming. He was quick to replace his despair with a sudden raising of the voice. "Mew-Mew! Where'd you go this time? Aww! You're never here when I actually need you!"

"Mew-Mew?" I asked Amy who simply shrugged her shoulders.

"I dunno," she responded. "It was this… cat thing… and it wouldn't do a thing he said… and it floated in the air… and stuff."

_Well, that was informative, _I thought to myself. Axel rubbed the back of his head, his face sporting an embarrassed pink tinge. That was the first and only time I saw any form of blushing from him. I think somewhere, far away, a pig had become airborne in that moment. Hang on a minute. I whirled my head around, gazing solely at the hole where that other Lugia had left. I then returned my focus back to the still blushing Axel. That Lugia had been pretty quick to leave when it was clear this guy was on his way. My brain clicked. Perhaps I was reading too much into it, but that bird seemed pretty tense.

"Axel, can I ask you something?" I asked, folding my wings at my sides as I did so.

"Yeah, shoot."

"Do you know a Lugia?"

"You're standing right in front of me."

"What? No. Not me. Another Lugia?"

The red on Axel's face completely drained itself from his visage in a single second. He adjusted his glasses as his embarrassment vanished entirely. He arched an eyebrow.

"There was another Lugia here?"

"Um… yeah."

"I see. Interesting…" Axel murmured as he stroked his chin, deep in thought. Once again, the light hit his glasses in such a way that hid the eyes behind them from view. I still wonder how he was able to do that no matter what the lighting situation was. All of us stared at him for a while. After about sixty seconds, we knew he wasn't going to elaborate on that. He was still Axel. That much I could see. I rolled my eyes quickly and continued with the questions. Mostly for information purposes, but it also helped that I knew he hated answering them.

"So… this… um, Mew-Mew?"

"Hm? Oh, right. You were out of the loop for that part. Mew-Mew's a friend of mine. But she's not exactly… reliable."

"I don't get it. Don't you just use one of those balls to-"

"You mean my pokéballs? No, y'see, I never caught Mew-Mew. It's not like I ever could, anyway. I've never heard of a legendary Pokémon being captured before. Hell, I've never heard of anyone actually meeting legendary Pokémon. Then again, I guess I just render that entire point moot."

"Right," I muttered sarcastically. No idea what he was going on about. "Now, are you gonna open a portal?"

"Am I gonna do what-now?"

"You… You said multiple times that you have ways of traveling between worlds. Please tell me this isn't another time travel thing because I'm pissed off as it is!"

"Hey now. Don't get those feathers in a bunch. Trust me, it hurts like hell. Now, I openly admit that dimensional and temporal travel are beyond my abilities!"

"What?"

"What?" Everyone else repeated me on cue (apart from Lucan who had grown bored with the conversation, finding the end of his tail far more entertaining).

"Would you relax? Stress isn't good for you y'know." Axel reprimanded us, seemingly unaware of the anger burning inside all of our insides. "I may not have phenomenal cosmic powers, but I know a couple good friends who do. Which is why I'm trying to get Mew-Mew out here! MEW-MEW! Where are you?"

He returned to calling out randomly at the cave walls surrounding him, leaving the rest of us to sigh in our regular sense of disbelief and frustration. Just another day of hanging out with our good buddy Axel Igaul.

That annoyed mood was soon to change to one of caution. At least for me, considering that I then sensed two new presences approaching. Both were human. I got my game face on, narrowing my eyes and focusing on the cave entrance. My apprehension radiated from my body, quickly infesting the minds of the others. Amy's fists curled as my feelings suddenly became her own, Vanessa soon following suit. Jet started shaking (naturally). Contrarily, Axel stopped calling out for this 'Mew-Mew' and reignited the smile on his face. I almost flinched at this. The hybrid's mind may have been tightly locked, but I could nonetheless sense a state of… fascination at the thought of whoever was coming this way. It was an eerie sensation. I felt no emotion. Just a cold shadow of interest emanating from his brain.

Fortunately, my focus was torn from Axel's thoughts as two familiar faces stood on the other side of the entrance, both completely out of breath. Despite this, they were still intent on saying their mantra.

"Prepare for… (hoof)… trouble!" Cassidy rasped between deep breaths.

"And you can… (huff)… make that double!" Butch managed to blurt out before leaning against the cave wall for support. Sweat trickled down the faces of the two loonies, the idea of them having chased the group of (mostly) humans down here becoming all the more likely as the sound of their intense breathing echoed throughout the cavern. Within the span of a millisecond, however, they took a deep breath and stood tall, staring smugly at Axel.

"To infect the world with devestation!"

"To blight all peoples in every nation!"

"To denounce the goodness of truth and love!"

"To extend our wrath to the stars above!"

"Cassidy!"

"And Butch!"

"We're Team Rocket, circling the earth all day and night!"

"Surrender to us now, or you'll surely lose the fight!"

"Axel. I have a question," Vanessa stated.

"Is it, 'are these two ever gonna leave us alone'?" Axel asked.

"Yes."

"Not in a million years, sister. Anyway, mind telling me why you're here, lame and lamer?"

"Stop calling us that!" Cassidy no less than screeched, her face twitching madly in rage. Butch backed off, a credit to his common sense. "Can't you just… respect us for once?"

"You do realize how stupid a question that is, right?"

"Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! This time, we've got your number, Axel Igaul!"

"Well, if you wanted my phone number, you could have just bought me a drink."

"First of all, ew. Second of all, you'd better play nice. Did you think we haven't been keeping tabs on you? We were listening to your little conversation on that rooftop!"

"Really now? How much did you hear?"

"Not the whole thing, but enough to know you were looking for a Lugia! And voila! There you are, you beautiful beast!"

I looked behind me, wondering who she was talking to. When I put two and two together, I turned my focus back around, my eyes narrowed towards the blond ditz whose presence managed to boil up enough anger in my stomach to rival that that I felt towards Axel. Not an easy feat. I wouldn't mind being treated like an animal given her apparent understanding of how sentient I was. But she was speaking to me in the tone of voice a little girl might talk to her infant pet rabbit.

My snarls appeared to be falling on deaf ears. She saw my intimidating face and instead of retreating in terror, she uttered a 'tut, tut, tut' and wagged her index finger at me. Furiousness remained plastered across my face, but my body froze in curiosity. She did realize that she was talking to a titanic avian who could crush her puny skeleton in a single step, right? Apparently, that thought hadn't crossed her mind because she was continuing to give me an aggravatingly condescending stare.

"We're not gonna waste time fighting a battle we know we can't win!" Cassidy spoke directly to me. I could distinguish a laugh being stifled in her throat. My curios state quickly turned into a cautious one. There was something she wasn't saying. The feeling didn't disappear, even as she returned to pointing at Axel and not me. "Before you catch that Lugia to use against us, we'll catch it!"

"If you had a shred of what might resemble a brain cell, you'd think about what you just said. You can't catch a legendary Pokémon. Do _you _know anyone who's caught a legendary Pokémon?"

"For your information, _we've _caught a Lugia before!"

"In a pokéball?"

"Um… well no, but-"

"Congratulations, you're officially a poor excuse for a trainer. Leave your trainer's card at the cave entrance if you'd be so kind."

"For the last time, shut up!"

"We both know that isn't gonna happen."

"Heh. You just don't get it. Oh well. It's not like I have to listen to you anyway! Not so long as I have this!" Cassidy boasted as she reached into her pocket, quickly removing a small metallic sphere, like the ones Axel used, from within. This seemed like something we shouldn't concern ourselves with. It was just another Pokémon she was planning to send out to fight us.

I couldn't have been more wrong. The instant Axel laid eyes on that orb, his fists clenched and a spike of tension hit me in the brain like no tomorrow. His gaze was glued onto the miniscule ball of metal, like it would explode at any moment. This reaction made me take a closer look at the sphere, noticing for the first time that it was slightly different from the ones Axel had. This one was silver on the bottom half as per usual, but the top half had a distinct shade of purple with two pink features that held a resemblance to pimples on both sides. Lastly, a large 'M' sat between these two 'pimples'. Still, I had to wonder what made this pokéball so different from the others.

Regardless, Axel threw himself between myself and the pair from Team Rocket, arms spread wide as if he was trying to block a bullet. Which, on a side note, he could have done earlier when I did get shot, but what's past is past.

"Ha ha ha!" Cassidy cackled, giving me an instant headache. "Oh, impressive tactic! What's next? Begging for mercy? I'm shaking."

"Tch!" Axel seethed through gritted teeth. Judging from his expression, I got the idea I should have been more worried than I actually was. "Ven! Whatever you do, don't let that thing hit you!"

"Don't order me around!" I responded, angrily stomping my foot into the gravely earth beneath me. Unfortunately, this had the unwanted side effect of spooking Cassidy, causing her to tighten her grip around the ball.

"Oh, I'm sorry, did you want to be shoved into a Master Ball? Trust me, it ain't a pleasant experience! Well, it's not when these two are involved!"

"Wait, you mean-!" Realization hit me like a missile. A mixture of fear and rage whirled around in my brain. They were trying to put me in one of those pokéballs? Something told me the claustrophobia I was feeling in that moment was completely natural.

"Yeah… so, y'know… don't let it hit you!"

"Too late for that! Go Master Ball!" Cassidy declared before tossing the sphere at me. In a panicked reaction, my eyes locked onto the sphere as it closed in on my face. I froze.

My conscious mind was slow to react, but apparently my subconscious had a better plan than just standing there. With my lifelong imprisonment mere centimeters in front of my face, something in my brain sparked. Like a mental tennis racket, my telekinesis kicked in, repelling this 'Master Ball' away from me and back on its original trajectory. Instead of smacking me in the maw, it bonked right into Cassidy's widened left eye at the velocity of a rocket. I widened my own eyes in response, comprehending for the first time how far my psychic abilities had come. I didn't even have to think about it anymore. A little slice of confidence found its way to my ego.

That was soon to come tumbling down the instant Cassidy began to snarl at me, picking up the ball from the gravel where it had landed. She curled it in her trembling fist, anger emanating from her mind like a radiator. She glared at me like I had killed her puppy right before her eyes. That's not to say I was afraid of her, but I did respect her for standing up to a gargantuan beast.

"BWAHAHAHA! Nice there Ven!" Axel snickered, giving me a thumbs up. Needless to say, Cassidy was peeved.

"Grrr," she seethed between her gritted teeth. "I hope you realize how much I hate you!"

"Aww, but I'm just so lovable!"

"Loathable is more like it!"

"Loathable isn't a real word."

"I don't give two tenths of a crap! I hate you, you hear me! I hate you! I hate you! I HATE YOU!"

_That'll do nicely._

Just like that, I was flash frozen on the spot. That voice… needed to stop showing up. My heartbeat dramatically increased whenever it did and I was fairly sure I was getting an ulcer. This voice was not good for my health.

Nevertheless, I saw in my peripheral vision the water turn that toxic violet once again. My insides tied themselves in a knot as the familiar sensation of dread that this voice brought with it coiled around my body like a giant serpent, constricting my breathing. Another familiar feeling injected itself into my thinking processes. The instinctual urge to look away from Butch and Cassidy took me over. Shutting my eyes and turning my head away, I shot the same idea into the heads of my companions, all of them, save Axel, getting the message and turning away. I didn't know what was happening, but my heart told me with all its might to not look at whatever was happening.

Well-known feelings seemed to enjoy entering my life today. For about the fifth time in my life, I was suddenly besieged by vicious wind currents, assaulting me from all sides. I struggled to keep my balance, despite my large size as the air violently swiped at my feathery form, reducing me to nothing more than a shrub struggling to stay rooted to the ground.

And then it all stopped.

There were three things I noticed when I turned around again. The first was that Butch was no longer standing where he once was. The second was Cassidy not being present as well. But the third was Axel, staring blankly at what was there instead of Butch and Cassidy. And it was quite understandable as to why.

The creature who had replaced Cassidy was a floating dragon-like one with no legs. It had a head and neck that was almost similar to my own, but that was about the only similarity we shared. The lower half of its body was red with jet-plane wings and stubby 'feet'. It had a blue triangle-shaped ring on its chest. Its white and red arms looked like they could be tucked into its body. The upper-half of its body was white. It also had tiny ear tufts and a red face with a white pentagon in the middle. The thing that had replaced Butch was identical to Cassidy's substitute in every way, except that it had blue colors wherever the first creature had red markings.

My emotional state went from fear to rage almost instantly. I was really getting tired of this.

**End of Chapter Seventeen!**

**So, heh, heh… akward. How long am I gonna take to finish this thing? Been more than two years. I'm sorry, I had a lot of educational obligations. I won't promise that I'll get my butt in gear, because knowing me, I most likely won't fulfill it. **


	18. Lucan

**Chapter 18: Lucan**

"The hell…" Axel muttered quietly as his glasses slid down his nose, seemingly in slow motion. His eyes were locked onto the two new creatures like a laser beam. He stood as still as a board, his mind not showing much activity. It was like his inner computer had completely frozen up. That reminded me that Axel had been staring directly at the two as they had transformed while the rest of us looked away. Granted, I had no idea why I felt a fearful urge to shield my eyes from the transformation of the two Team Rocket members. But for some reason, Axel kept his gaze glued to the pair. And he seemed to be paying whatever price that had been inflicted upon him. He remained in place for a few seconds, all focus on him. After a few seconds of him realizing he was completely still, he got a bit of his composure back. "What… was that?"

"That," I began, remembering that this was the first time Axel had seen this happen from his current perspective, "was those two transforming."

"Just like… Suicne… Entei… and Raikou. So it is all true. These humans turning into Pokémon. So, it's Cassidy playing the role of Latias and Ben as Latios. Interesting." Axel's smirk returned, just as strong as when it left and he put his glasses back in their original position. "That's nice. But what was… _that_?"

"He just told you, idiot!" Vanessa piped up, getting her medallion prepared. It seemed that might have been pointless, though, since the two across from us hadn't even opened their eyes as of yet. They seemed to be thinking hard. And I knew what about. From what Axel's future self had told me before he left us for good, I had to deduce that The Shadow (which was its official name now) was still working on the transformation of their brains. And if that were the case, then we had a little time.

"Not that!" Axel said, his words beginning to sound more demanding. "I saw something. It looked like it was made of… fog. Really dark fog. And it was the thing that changed them."

"You saw The Shadow?" I asked just before Vanessa took charge.

"We can talk later when these two are NOT open for attack! Burning soul!" Vanessa declared, activating her medallion. As per tradition, she was surrounded in the familiar ruby light which faded moments later to reveal Moltres. She took off, hovering in mid-air so as to give the rest of us some space to move.

"Come on Jet!" Amy said, grabbing the boy by the scruff of his neck, only setting him down after they were face to face with the dangerous duo before us. She removed her medallion from around her neck, a cold determination in her eyes. "I'm not letting Vanessa take all the action!"

"R-Right… Fun…" Jet whined, taking his own medallion from his pocket if only not to get punched in the face by the unstoppable tank only known as Amy.

"Frozen Soul!"

"Golden soul!"

Another pair of lights appeared like fireworks, reflecting off the water and making the cave walls glimmer with an aquatic shine. The golden light faded, allowing Ho-Oh to spread his wings in the humid cavern, his feathers glittering with a rainbow aura. Articuno was quick to follow, her natural cold temperatures more than a good matchup against the searing hot temperatures Moltres was bringing into the cavern. Both took flight, looking fully prepared for the oncoming fight.

"Alright then! My turn!" Axel proclaimed, taking a pokéball from his pocket and pointing directly at the red creature with it in his outstretched arm. "Cassidy! You've never looked better! But I'll still foil you all the same! Kenya, I choose-"

My hybrid friend never finished that sentence. Promptly after he began taunting the recently transformed Cassidy, the yellow eyes of our adversary opened, complete malice layering both irises. In the instant her eyelids parted, Axel's chances of being involved in the fight were destroyed. The Lugia hybrid pulled his arm back, attempting to hurl the pokéball like a baseball, only for the sphere to be sent flying out of his hand. Not only that, but the other five pokéballs (including the special 'GS' ball) he had with him, as if by magic, slid upwards out of his pockets, as if possessed by a malevolent poltergeist. The six spheres flew to the top of the cavern, all six sliding into a crack in the roof. For once, I actually saw Axel with a gaping expression as he stared at the spot where his pokéballs had left his sight. Tension struck me, easily puncturing several holes of fear into my lungs. Those were Axel's main weapons of choice. And if they were out of commission, then I didn't want to think about what that would do to Axel's usefulness in a fight. Thinking of how much this was affecting me, I could only imagine how Axel was taking this new development.

"Well," Axel started, turning his focus back to our foes. "So you know Psychic as a Latias. That's good to know."

Vanessa didn't share Axel's affinity for observation. Flames exploded from her beak, cascading towards Latias. Amy wasn't far behind, icy energy, slightly resembling a bolt of lightning, surged from her own beak, streaming side by side with Vanessa's Flamethrower.

Our opposition, however, was even quicker on the uptake. With a speed I couldn't possibly identify, the duo of floating dragons seemed to disappear into thin air. There was no question as to where they were, though, since I hadn't even finished blinking before I felt something hit me in the stomach with the force of a cannonball. I fell backward as the air escaped from my lungs, my body dropping into the lukewarm water and sinking into it, my mid-section still painfully tingling from the assault. I grunted and worked through the pain, a fierce willpower blooming in my brain. I reoriented myself underwater and flapped my wings, propelling myself above the surface. I repeated the upstroke and started hovering.

There was a peculiar sound nipping at my ears. A constant zipping noise, somewhat like the sound of a missile taking off, surrounded me. I looked around, trying to pinpoint the source, but it was coming from a thousand different directions. In that same instant, I noticed that Latios and Latias had disappeared as well.

The focus of my attention was brought back to the peculiar sounds when a flash of red and blue appeared directly before my eyes. Not even one second later, I felt a powerful blow to my back. I screeched in pain as a snapping sensation reverberated from my back where the strike had been dealt. I tried to recover, but the second I flapped my wings, pain spread like wildfire within the bones of my back. After yelling out in pain once again, I plummeted into the water a second time. I couldn't move. Every time I tried to, the pain returned, stabbing my body into submission.

That didn't stop Latios and Latias from coming after me. Because unlike some of my previous opponents, the fact that I was underwater wasn't going to hinder their assault. I heard the sound of something submerging into the water. Before I could look, Latias appeared in front of me, looking me right in the eyes. I widened my own and attempted to open my mouth for a Hyper Beam.

No dice.

Something tackled me in the jaw at the speed of a freight train, sending me on a painful tumble through the tides. I wasn't even sure if the thing making my bones rattle within my body were the two I had attempted to fight anymore. How was it possible that they could move that fast underwater? That question was never to be answered. All of a sudden I was barraged with blows from all directions, each piece of bodily harm hurting worse than the previous. They struck nearly every part of me, from my wings to my head to even the very tip of my tail. These two left no area unbattered. I was knocked around in the water like it was the world's largest and most painful pinball machine.

It may have just been my punch-drunk mind, but I had to wonder why my friends weren't helping me. It took me a few more charges into my stomach to realize that it was because they couldn't breathe underwater.

I felt a sharp strike to the back of my head. And then I blacked out.

Amy squawked angrily at the water beneath her in an effort to taunt my two assailants out of the water as she hovered just above the surface. Fortunately, she was smart enough not to dive in, which would render her completely useless. None of my companions knew what they should do. If they went under, they were dead. But if they did nothing, I was dead. If birds could sweat, I'm sure they would have lost about fifty percent of their water weight in the few seconds I had been under the surface.

"Stop freakin' out, would 'ya?" Axel called out to Amy. Amy responded with the most restraint she could muster. With a shot of Ice Beam directly at Axel's face. Fortunately he fell back in surprise, landing on his posterior in a painful way. He felt cold smother the entirety of his head like a plastic bag. He started shivering, frost clinging to the tips of his hair. "I said that I HATE COLD! What part about that did NOT enter that brain of yours?"

_That's not important, _Amy thought, Axel picking up on it with his own telepathy.

"I disagree." Axel said, brushing himself off haughtily. "After all, it's not like anything takes more priority."

_You ARE kidding me, right?_

"No. I never kid. I may lie, fib, and joke, but never kid. Did you forget that they're in the water?"

_Yeah, right where we can't get them! _Vanessa thought angrily.

"One of us can!" Axel's head tilted down, his gaze falling comfortably on Lucan. The electric mouse stared back at him with blinking eyes and a bewildered expression. He didn't appear to comprehend what Axel was insinuating. Upon regarding this fact, Axel sighed in frustration and squatted down so that he was closer to the rat. "Whaddaya say buddy? Save your friend Vantos, take down Biff and Cassidy, and then grab a bite to eat?"

"Huh? Me?" Lucan asked him, pointing at himself. Axel nodded, letting out a confident smile. Lucan blinked and tilted his head. The electric Pokémon then looked at his medallion. Then his feet, a pained face passing over him like a shadow. "I can't."

"Why not? You're a Pokémon, aren't you?"

_Yeah! Turn into Zapdos and HELP US ALREADY! _Vanessa mentally barked.

"I can't," Lucan repeated reluctantly. He clung to the medallion, and had the three other avians in the vicinity been paying attention to him rather than my plight, they would've noticed Lucan's tiny hands trembling. His ears lowered in a state of disappointment and he let out a sorrowful squeak every few seconds. "I… can't help Ven."

"Sure you can," Axel said.

"No… I can't… I messed up."

"What're you talking about?"

"This… the medallion… it doesn't work anymore."

Somehow (don't ask me how) the trio of birds froze in midair. All heads rotated to face Lucan. The multiple eyes fixed on him made him cringe as if their gaze was a physical force. Lucan let the medallion drop, the no longer glowing piece of jewellery swaying like a pendulum. Lucan hung his head.

"I already tried. I think it burned out when we opened the portal here."

"And… that changes things… why?" Axel asked.

You could've knocked Lucan over with a feather. He snapped his attention back to Axel's face which had remained in a position of unwavering confidence. Looking right into Axel's eyes, Lucan didn't see any doubt. Calmness radiated from Axel to Lucan like sunshine. Axel grabbed Lucan's hand and squeezed it gently shaking it slightly as well.

"Listen bud. Hand me that medallion. I think I can fix your problem."

"Huh? Okay…" Lucan replied hopefully. Axel removed the medallion with his free hand, holding it in the palm of his hand for a moment. He then clenched his fist around it and promptly stuffed the mystical and significant object into his back pocket like it was an old receipt. Lucan reached for it, but Axel shook his head at the mouse, stopping him in his tracks. Axel wagged his finger as a nagging mother would.

"You don't need that thing Lucan."

"Huh?" Lucan said just as a spark of hope and interest passed through his body.

"I said you don't need that thing. Look. I can't save Ventus."

"But don't you know Aeroblast?"

"Who told you that? Lucan, I don't know any Pokémon attacks."

"B-But I saw you-"

"If you did, then I suppose I learn it in the future. Awesome. Free spoilers. But, anyway, for once this isn't about me. This is about you."

"Me?"

"Do I hafta spell it out for 'ya? Lucan. You're a Pokémon. A real Pokémon. Not a genetic fake one like me. I can't save Ventus. Because _you're _gonna save Ventus."

"I am?"

"Yeah. But you're gonna have to listen to me, and do exactly as I say. Okay? No matter how crazy it sounds, just follow my instructions. You alright with that?"

"Um… yeah. Yeah!" Lucan's regular happy face returned. He narrowed his eyes and strung up a smile. And that smile seemed to be Mr. Igaul's goal, since he returned it in full.

"Wonderful, in that case-" Axel began just before grabbing Lucan like a boulder and tossing him towards the water like suffocating fish. Lucan flailed his arms and legs around in midair, obviously not expecting that. Amy dove to catch him, but at her current speed, he was going to hit the drink first. Vanessa, regardless of her distaste towards Lucan's often dirty fur getting anywhere near her, glared at Axel like he was a madman. Which, I'll be honest, he probably was. Jet just remained motionless, stunned, and unsure like he regularly is. "When you hit the water, use Thunderbolt!"

"But Ven's there-"

"He's a Lugia, we don't go down that easy! Trust me!" Axel managed to spit out just before the splash sound of Lucan plummeting into the abyss, narrowly dodging Amy's talons as she slashed pointlessly at the waves. Her angered attention was soon to find another target. And in one swift maneuver, she flew over to Axel like a falcon about to snatch up its prey, extending her talons once more. Axel let out a soft, "meep" just as Amy wrapped each of her talons around Axel's soldiers and pinned him to the cave floor. A cracking sound broke out upon impact from Axel's body, resulting in quite the contortion of Axel's face as the hybrid whimpered in pain.

"Y'know, that was really not necessary," Axel groaned as he writhed on the rough rock in utter pain.

_You just drowned one of my friends and you're not doing anything to help! I THINK IT WAS TOTALLY NECESSARY! _Amy silently screamed.

Axel surely would have retorted with something annoying (most likely), but at the time, he, as well as the others, were preoccupied as the body of water below them gained a shining golden radiance from deep within. Axel smirked triumphantly, his glasses reflecting the light.

I woke up to the (sadly) familiar sensation of electricity running through my veins. My heart received the sensation of a thousand needles rapidly stabbing it in succession. Needless to say, rising and shining wasn't an option when a current of paralyzing energy was running through my body. Fortunately, seconds after it had begun, it stopped. I rotated my head around myself, looking for the source of that heart-stopping power. My gaze darted around… only to land on Latios and Latias, both struggling in the water as sparks appeared and disappeared on the surface of their bodies sporadically. As soon as my brain decided to start working again after the frying it had just been subjected to, I scanned for the origin of the electricity, a smile flowing across my beak as my eyes spotted Lucan desperately holding his breath. Reflexes took over and I ascended in the water with a flap of the wings. Reflexes kicked in again as searing pain shot through my limbs. I cringed, but I kept moving. Keeping my attention on rescuing Lucan made the pain far less prevalent. I made a few more strokes, gliding smoothly past the terrible two and bit down gently on Lucan's tail, dragging him up with me as I moved towards the surface.

I broke free from the drink, returning to the world above. To my surprise, I found only two heads turn to me from above, that being Moltres' and Ho-Oh's. The other two heads whirled around right in front of me, seeing as Amy still had her claws clamped securely on Axel's shoulders. She let go as I clambered onto the tiny plot of land in the cavern, spreading out like a rug next Axel, Lucan dropping from my jaw. Hammers of agony beat down on my bones. I couldn't get up.

_ZACK! _Amy's mind cried out. I could only offer a whimper to respond. _Are you okay?_

"Does it look like he is?" Axel asked rhetorically as he got up, holding his back where he had fallen on it.

_Shut up! It's your fault he's like this!_

"He was just gonna get pummeled by Team Rocket anyway. At least Lucan's Thunderbolt gave Van here enough time to get away."

_And what if it killed him?_

"Huh. Never thought of it that way. Um… oops?"

I knew it. He was trying to kill me.

Latios and Latias apparently didn't have a long recovery period. I heard two splashes as the pair emerged from below, the sound of passing jet planes becoming reintegrated into the grotto as they continued their assault from where they left off. My naked eye once again only saw flashes of red and blue in the air above. At this point, if they came after any of us, we would be helpless to stop them.

"Quick, Lucan!" Axel said as the rodent recovered from his tumble onto the ground. He shook his head rapidly to clear it, spinning round to face Axel afterwards. Axel pointed to Amy. "Get on her head!"

Lucan didn't hesitate. Before Amy could argue, Lucan had jumped and was now clinging to the Articuno's frigid neck feathers. Amy rolled her eyes and took flight, making an effort to hover just above me in an act of protection. Not that she was able to do much other than react when one of our two adversaries of the day whizzed by her head. I attempted to rise and aid her, only to collapse pathetically.

"Now!" Axel shouted and pointed at Amy. "Amy, I need you to-!"

_Shut up! I don't need you to tell me what to do! _Amy retorted frustratingly, her head darting in multiple directions as she tried to pinpoint where she should shoot her Ice Beam.

"Come on now, I promise not to get you hurt." Axel, being Axel, couldn't quite conceal when he was lying anymore. As such, Amy handed him a rebellious avian bark as a comeback. Axel's left eyebrow twitched, but that was the only indication of any emotion on his face. "Now you're just being childish."

_Oh yeah? If you're so smart, why don't YOU fight them?_

"Me?"

Mere milliseconds after he had said it, a blur of red came whizzing towards him, driving into the hybrid's stomach and sending him flying into the wall behind him. His bones, having already suffered a major impact, broke out in a choir of cracks as the wall received his limp form. He collapsed next to me, looking very much in pain. He groaned in the stuff, writhing as he clutched at his back where I suppose the pain was focused. His coughs for breath became a chorus of aching noises when they combined with his sobs.

"Owww," he stretched that note of agony out, whimpering like a dog begging for food. "Now, I don't think I deserved that."

Of course he didn't.

_Serves y'right, _Amy thought, rolling her eyes. I laughed inside… and also a tad on the outside.

"Okay, I admit it," Axel said as he staggered up, still refusing to take his hands away from his back. He breathed through clenched teeth, facing away from us. "I can't fight. Never could."

_Some help you are then! _Vanessa thought, joining Amy in trying to find her targets.

"Uh huh. And you're one to talk, because?"

_Excuse me? _Vanessa shot back, despite being onslaught with assaults from Red and Blue.

"Have you beat these two yet? No. You can't even see them."

_O-Oh, right, and you can? _Heads whirled. That wasn't Vanessa. Jet said that. The whole crew stared at him (minus myself). Was he just… argumentative? His feathers may have been orange, but my companions could clearly see him blushing. Can birds do that? _Wh-What? I-I haven't said anything in a while._

"Heh heh heh, hee hee hee," Axel began to laugh. I opened an eye to see him snickering with his head lowered. His chuckling gradually increased in volume over time, a strange eeriness falling over us. "Ha ha ha, HA HA HA! BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAA!"

Axel burst out in joyous laughter, his hands moving from his back to his sides as though they were about to split. All eyes were once again on him. He turned around, eyes closed and teeth grit as his tortured sniggers seethed through them. He pointed at Vanessa. She blinked at him. I was still incapacitated at the time, so I can't be sure of this, but according to a certain person, Axel's eyes didn't hide behind reflective glasses. He bore right through Vanessa's animosity, his stare seeming to almost pick at her brain. Neither flinched from the others stare.

"Trust me," Axel said, Vanessa almost jumping when Axel actually spoke. "I know what I'm doing. And even if you decide not to trust me, at least humor me. And use Flamethrower at that wall!"

Axel's finger moved from Vanessa to the rightward wall. Vanessa didn't move. Axel kept staring at her, a snicker or two still blubbering out of his lips. To this day I don't know what he was laughing about. A strange act from a strange person. The action was so bizarre, in fact, that it caused a strange act from a less strange person in a chain reaction.

Vanessa nodded.

Moltres turned in midair and opened her beak, a torrent of flame flowing from her beak. The flames danced through the air, harmlessly flowing right into the rock wall. Amy and Jet stopped flying for a moment in shock. She actually did what he said. I would stagger as well if I could… y'know… bring up an iota of energy within me.

_Look… just- _Vanessa's eyes were narrowed angrily. Frustration poured out of her just as fast as the flames did. _–just do what he wants. It can't hurt._

_I-If you say so, _Jet replied, recovering his aerial stance. He looked at Axel for instructions. Axel pointed to the very top of the same wall Vanessa was uselessly attacking and released a jet (no pun intended) of his own at the area where the wall and the ceiling met, his assault directly parallel to Vanessa's.

"Now Amy!" Axel shouted, his finger directing her to aim for the bottom section of the wall face, still in a vertical straight line with the fire blasts. Amy nodded reluctantly and hovered just below Vanessa, letting her Ice Beam loose on the lower half of the wall. There were spaces in between each of the elemental streams of energy, and upon seeing those spaces, Axel's grin got broader. For a single second, the fire of both Flamethrowers wavered as if something passed through it at the speed of light. Because something did. And it did again another moment later. It repeated every second like clockwork. It was uncanny. The same distortion of the flames came again and again endlessly, never ceasing.

"So there _is _a pattern to their movements," Axel stated knowingly, scratching his chin in thought. "Now since they haven't attacked in a long while, they must need time to prepare for something. Gathering up their energy. And since they're Latios and Latias that must be… heh heh. It's in the bag!"

_What ARE you blubbering about? _Vanessa mentally spat out.

"Lucan!" Axel yelled, completely ignoring the Moltres. Lucan looked at him with expectance. Axel gave him a thumbs up. "Jump up to Jet!"

Lucan let his affirmative response show by leaping towards Vanessa and grabbing onto her talons. He swung from that, flipping himself on her back. He repeated the feat of acrobatics with Jet, landing gracefully atop Jet's head. The mouse returned his gaze to Axel.

"When I give the signal, jump off and use Iron Tail straight down! Don't hold back!"

_What? BUT I'M IN HIS LINE OF FIRE! _Vanessa quietly shrieked.

"Trust me!" Lucan got his game face on, his hind legs balancing carefully on Jet's back. His tail gradually became grayer in colour, sparkling in the light from the other side of the waterfall. My electric amigo stuck his tongue out in concentration, his cheeks sparking sporadically.

"Ready… on three!"

Lucan smiled, confidence resonating within his soul.

"One…"

Lucan's feet stiffened.

"Two…"

The rodent took a leaping stance.

"THREE!"

Lucan flipped off of Jet, curling into a ball and Iron Tail glowing like a disk around his rolling body. Lucan's aim was not to be trifled with. His tail, at first, seemed to strike at nothing but air. But then a definitive crack broke out. The instant that sound rang, the invisible became visible. Lucan had landed a successful blow on Latios. The Pokémon who had once been accelerating faster than the speed of sound had been struck at the joint where the wing met the body by a tail made of steel, effectively ceasing his flight plan. Latios, after releasing a grunt, fell towards the water, below. Lucan fell backward due to his tail bouncing back. Luckily, he fell directly onto Vanessa's back. Latios wasn't nearly as fortunate. The dragon became as airborne as scrap metal. Could it get any better?

Actually, as luck would have it, it could. Latios was not only out of commission, as it were, but he landed directly on the still soaring Latias, both of them splashing into the water, sinking as stones would.

You could have heard a pin drop on a bed of fluffy pillows from the silence that followed. Needless to say, the three other avians shut down their fire and ice techniques after that. Lucan shook his head rapidly to clear it and blinked at the same pace when he realized the sound of the pair of Pokémon flying around had stopped. He smiled. He then jumped off of Vanessa, impressively landing right in Axel's arms. The hybrid scratched him behind the ears, making Lucan coo in delight.

"See? Told 'ya," Axel said, smiles on both their faces. "You're a real fighter. You can do anything. And don't let anyone tell you otherwise, 'cause they're just wrong."

Lucan looked back up at his best friend, eyes shimmering in a newfound belief. He was happier than I'd ever seen him. And I know because I was looking directly at him. I was still paralyzed from pain, however, their conversation was in my line of sight. I didn't think anyone could sport a smile that sizeable. Let alone someone the height and weight of a seat cushion.

_Wait! Wait! WAIT! _Vanessa spluttered with a destructive fury. She flapped her wings, the flames upon them spiking. _You… You ACTUALLY TIMED THAT? HOW IN THE NAME OF SANITY DID YOU-_

"Huh? No I didn't time it. Total luck."

_I'm sorry, what was that?_

"But come on, the two were flying past in the exact same spot every other millisecond. Lucan had a fifty-fifty shot."

_You… You guessed?_

"You're not mad, are you? I don't want to worry you."

_Oh… no… don't be concerned with worrying me. You won't ever worry me… AFTER I FREAKING KILL YOU!_

And with those words of supreme animosity, Vanessa lunged at him, claws raised in an attempt to mimic what Amy had accomplished earlier. Axel stood stock still, Lucan not even noticing the approaching phoenix from behind. Axel's position didn't waver.

"That's funny," Axel spoke, Vanessa freezing in place as he did. She hovered on the spot, talons inches away from his shoulders. He was staring directly at the ceiling, specifically where his pokéballs had disappeared to.

_What is?_

"My pokéballs haven't dropped out of that crack yet."

_So?_

"_So, _either, they're stuck… or-"

A pillar of water erupted from the pond, interrupting Axel mid-sentence. The water then fell like rainfall back from whence it came. As the curtain of liquid fell, two creatures emerged from behind it. And they were not here to congratulate our blow against them.

"-Latias is still focusing that Psychic move." Axel finished his sentence, an almost predatory grin strung on him. "And that's fine. I wanted to see this anyway."

_See what?_

"That." Axel's indication became clear as a clear ball of mist formed at the tips of Latias' claws. The cloudy sphere became larger and larger, forming into a miniature planet of mist, each space between the wisps of foggy energy shaping tiny continents. Similarly, an orb of pink power came into creation, sandwhiched between Latios' appendages. A shock wave of power radiated from them, making the feathers on the back of my neck stand up in attention. It passed through my body, making my pain flare up.

_Wh-What is that? _Jet asked, nervousness seeping out of his voice.

"Latios' legendary Luster Purge and Latias' mythical Mist Ball," Axel dubbed them. "Both not very strong in terms of pure power. However, if struck by those moves, your tolerance for damage and the potency of your attacks will dramatically decrease respectively. We have to act fast! Jet, use Sacred Fire to counter Luster Purge! Amy, freeze that Mist Ball with your Ice Beam!"

With the motivation for doing so being: 'he's been right so far', Amy and Jet both prepared their individual assaults. Jet looked bewildered as to what 'Sacred Fire' was for a moment, but he decided on his most powerful flame attack that he'd learnt to rely on. Both opened their beaks, a ball of white hot flame building up inside of Jet's mouth and a sphere of ice inside Amy's. Latias and Latios fired their individual attacks, Jet and Amy striking back with equal force. Or perhaps not so equal. The attacks collided with one another, only for most of the resulting explosion to end up impacting Amy and Jet, sending them flying into the back wall like the hybrid had before them. A hazy fog was all the evidence that remained of the exchange of moves.

"That didn't go well," Axel said simply, scratching his head as the mist cleared, revealing the two dragons still airborne and without a scratch on them.

_Were you guessing again? _Vanessa asked without _really _asking if you know what I mean.

"No. I honestly though that would work. You guys aren't very experienced, are you?"

_I've only done this once._

"And there it is. You may have powers from the legendaries but I don't think you know how to use them just yet. And that's the problem."

"What now?" Lucan inquired as Amy and Jet got back in the air. Simultaneously, another pair of spheres appeared in the hands of our adversaries. "They're getting ready again."

"Um…" Axel murmured, deep in thought. "I'm open to suggestions?"

_Some commander you are!_

"I'm thinking!"

_Don't HURT YOURSELF!_

"Now I'm just getting mixed signals from you."

_Cut the smart ass talk and do something. _

"I NEVER cut the smart ass talk. It's my favourite kind of talk. Let's see… we need someone who knows how to use the powers of a Pokémon. In that case… Lucan, what moves can you use?"

"Uh… Thunderbolt, Iron Tail, Quick Attack, and Electro Ball. Why?"

"And there's something else," I managed to talk at last. I was suddenly the focus of attention again. It hurt to talk… or do anything for that matter, but this was something that had to be said. "Lucan… you still have Zapdos' power."

"I do?"

"Yeah," I continued, every word feeling like a sledgehammer to my core. "The medallion's power didn't just disappear, it was transferred. You have this weird ability. You absorbed all of its potential. I don't even know how, but you did it."

"I-I-I did that? I don't even-"

"It's not your fault. I don't think it was set off intentionally. It just… happened."

"That's great!" Axel squealed like a fangirl. He held Lucan in his outstretched hands, grinning like some sort of supervillain. "Your ability is lightningrod? Now, I thought you were a cool Pikachu before, but that just cements it! Okay, so we've got a legendary power AND someone who knows how to use it! Lucan! Time for you to learn a new move!"

"A new one?" Axel put Lucan down and then pushed him gently to the cave entrance.

"Go back there as far as you can go, then rush back using Quick Attack!" Lucan nodded and went on his way, past my head and exiting the cave. The shock wave I had felt when Latios and Latias had attacked the first time made another appearance. An insect of sheer cold crawled up my spine. They were ready. "Vanessa? Could we get some cover?"

_Why not? I must do everything for you after all. _Vanessa complained, lighting down behind me and spreading her wings as a defensive wall. _Bring it. _

"Lucan! Now's a good time to get back here!"

The sounds of scampering feet came from the cave entrance. The pace of these repetitious noises sped up, getting closer and closer. Axel waited. And waited. Until he eventually said-

"As you're running Lucan, let electricity run through your fur! Surround yourself with it! And when you get to the edge, jump and tackle Latios!"

The darkness of the opening became lit as a sparkling yellow light came charging towards us. Vanessa noticed this as well and decided that cover wasn't necessary anymore. She backed off, leaving a clear path for our galvanic rhino (otherwise known as our Pikachu) to charge out of the cave opening at the velocity of a magnet train and bound upwards just a nanosecond before he would've dashed into the water. His mere speed made Axel's hair and our feathers fly up in the wind current. He soared like a rocket, a banner of electricity flowing out behind him as he flew, aim straight and true. He knocked into Latios like a football player, sending the dragon careening into a wall like he had done with Axel as well as Amy and Jet. A bit of irony found its way into the grotto as the sound of Latios bonking his head and tumbling into the drink. He floated belly up like a fish, clearly unconscious.

Latias wasn't going to let that slide. She, in anger, fired her Mist Ball at Lucan, who was still in midair where he had charged against Latios. Lucan widened his eyes as the sphere made its way toward him.

"Lucan! Don't be afraid! Just use all your power in an Electro Ball!" Axel shouted, sure as could be.

Lucan's eyes narrowed as a massive amount of electricity was concentrated at the end of his tail. Having gotten a knack for it by this point, Lucan spun around in the air, releasing the orb of electric energy that wasn't much different in size than one of Axel's pokéballs. It, however, packed a lot of punch in such a small package. The orbs collided, but the ending of this tale was much different than the last one. Mist Ball held no sway over Lucan's own strength. The Mist Ball dispersed, leaving Electro Ball unhindered. It met its target, making Latias stagger midair. Sparks flew over her body as she clenched her teeth, in electrocuted agony.

_Now's our chance! _Vanessa thought, her Flamethrower bursting from her beak. Jet followed up with Sacred Fire, sending it on the same course Flamethrower was following. Amy's Ice Beam was quick to pursue them. Latias was still defenseless and… well… you can guess what happened next. Latias plummeted alongside Latios, just as awake as her partner.

Lucan fell as well, though this time, I wasn't going to grab him. But someone was there for him. Axel dove into the water, staying under for a time. But the heads of the hybrid and the Pikachu emerged seconds later, both drawing for breath.

"Congrats, Lucan," Axel said as he stroked towards shore. Lucan climbed on his head. And he couldn't help but smile triumphantly. "You are officially a Pikachu who knows Volt Tackle."

As Axel finished up, three glowing lights invaded the corners of my eyes. When those lights faded, two pairs of hands appeared under my left wing. Another pair showed up under my right. The hands attempted to lift me, to not much success.

"Come on you giant butterball!" Vanessa's voice spoke from my left side. "Rise and shine."

"Wha-?" I blurted out in confusion as my bones ached. Regardless, I made them push me onto my feet. My body screamed at me to take a break, but my friends needed me up.

"Ventus, you still gotta use the Surge of Soul to change those two back," Jet explained with much more authority than I would expect from him. "I mean… if… if you want to."

Never mind.

"It's okay." I turned my head to the right to see Amy supporting my rather heavy wing by herself. She winked at me. "We got you big guy."

I smiled and faced the two that my friends had managed to defeat on their own. I looked at them. I couldn't beat those two. No… but they could. My friends. It actually felt kind of good knowing that. I know that sounds weird, but it felt nice to know that when I was unable to accomplish something…

…these people were here for me.

It didn't feel right to deliver the finishing blow on a fight I hadn't been in, but I was glad to do it. So without further ado, I said my favourite three words in the universe.

"Surge of soul." I said quietly. No need for a spectacle. All I needed was all my positive mojo to magically transform two members of a team that didn't make sense back into their human form. Nothing big about that. My blue aura did its thing, coiling itself around Cassidy first, making her body glow for a moment before leaving her unconscious human form alone and moving onto Butch. It did the same there, purging the Pokémon right out of them. My aura returned to me, making me complete once again. It then occurred to me that I was taking up a lot of space on this little patch of land. "Reverse."

"OH NOOOO!" Axel screeched as the light left me and put me in my half-human body. I thought he was freaking out about the possibly drowning Butch and Cassidy. But they were still floating rather comfortably in the salt water. The direction Axel's frightened expression was facing was indicative enough. He was looking at the crack in the ceiling where his pokéballs… were now falling. "It's gonna take forever to find those at the bottom of this pit! SOMEBODY SAVE MY FAMILY!"

We were all taken aback. Axel was behaving like a mother whose baby was taking tightrope lessons without a net. He pulled at his hair so hard in frustration I'm surprised he didn't yank it off like a toupee.

He had no reason to fear. Mere millimeters above the ground, the pokéballs ceased dropping. They simply froze, the waves lapping at the underside of the spheres. I arched an eyebrow and focused my mind. There was definitely a psychic influence here. And by the levels of energy radiating from those pokéballs, I could tell that it was a rather powerful one as well. Why, the brain of whatever was manipulating those orbs had to be some kind of superior intellect. That much mental strength was like my father's only somehow… more intimidating. And I didn't think that was possible. The sheer size of this super psychic's brain had to be larger than me (in human form of course).

My expectations were promptly dashed.

I first felt something that weighed similar to Lucan land on my head. Before I could look up, whatever this thing was looked down. It hung off my head, its face coming centimeters in front of mine. Even when upside-down I recognized the shape of its face. I had seen that shape before. Only this time it was in colour. And it was incredibly pink. The shape of its head was feline, and just below its pointed cat ears there were two massive and radiant sapphire blue eyes. Its long whip-like tail flowed behind the creature's head. Seeing my stunned expression, the Pokémon giggled like a small child. I took a look at its mind and would have facepalmed were the pink thing not in the way. Whatever this kitty was, it was the all-powerful mental being. I need to remember just how crazy things get around here. And by 'here', I mean 'me'.

"Hey, Mew-Mew!" Axel greeted the Pokémon. That made me remember the name. It was a Mew. I recalled from when Axel had given me the picture of the silhouette of one. The Mew patted me on the cheek and glided off my head replacing it with Axel's. Axel picked his backpack off the ground and reached into it, taking out a muffin that appeared to have chocolate chips embedded in it. He handed the baked good to Mew who took it gratefully with both hands. The Mew munched on the muffin greedily until it was mere crumbs in its furry paws. 'Mew-Mew' then licked Axel's face as a contented puppy would. The pokéballs that were floating in the pond of air up until now were now moving towards Axel as if they were being carried by some invisible platform. Axel took them and stuffed them into his pockets.

"Thanks for the treat, Mister Lugia," Mew-Mew said, wrapping her arms around Axel's neck and snuggling up to him affectionately.

"My name's still Axel, Mew-Mew. Please try to remember that."

"Mm-hm, mm-hm, whatever you say, Mister Lugia."

Axel sighed.

"Wait, wait, wait. This is the Mew-Mew you've been going on about?" I asked.

"That's rude, Mister Other Lugia." Mew-Mew replied, looking directly at me with those giant eyes.

"Mister Other Lugia?"

"Hee hee hee," Mew-Mew laughed innocently. "It's okay, I forgive you. Just so long as you fly with me later. Mister Lugia is such a boring bore and won't fly."

"Hey now, let's not get insulting," Axel ordered.

"What about that was insulting?" I asked yet another question.

"The word 'boring'. It's incredibly insulting. But Mew-Mew, we really need… please stop pulling my hair Mew-Mew… thanks. We need a portal to Mister Other Lugia's world. He's not exactly from around here and he needs a lift back home."

"Oh… why didn't you just say so Mister Lugia?"

"Uh… I did. Several times on the way here, actually."

"I think I would've remembered something like… WAIT!"

"What? What is it?"

"A Wingull just flapped its wings directly above our heads."

It was a group facepalm moment. The only one who didn't participate was Axel who was probably used to the behaviour.

"That's nice. So…"

"So… what?"

"Portal please?"

"For what?"

"MEW-MEW!"

"I was kidding that time. You need a sense of fun, Mister Lugia."

"Axel."

"That's nice Mister Lugia. Anyway, Mister Other Lugia. Do you know where you want to go?"

"Um…" I started to say with no intention or way of continuing. I went deep into thought. This was difficult. How exactly was I supposed to describe which dimension I wanted to go to? I didn't have more than five minutes of memories of it.

"That'll do."

My stomach dropped into my feet. I stared at Mew-Mew with a twitching expression. Did she just-?

"-read your mind? I suuuuuure did. You're not very sure of yourself are you? You should be happy. You're gonna go home. And then you and your dad can thank me for getting you there with some snacks. Everybody's happy, happy, happy! Right, Mister Other Lugia?"

"Huh? I… suppose."

"Hee hee, if you could see your face I think you'd be laughing. But then you wouldn't look like that and it wouldn't be very funny anymore. Oh… this is no good at all."

This was sincerely the biggest dilemma to her. I groaned.

"Aww, no sad faces. Don't worry Mister Other Lugia. I'll bring you home now. I've been everywhere. And I recognized your world."

"What was that? You've been… everywhere? Literally everywhere?"

"Hee hee hee, when you live forever, you have to find some way to fill your time. Now stand back! I'm just gonna bend reality real quick. Don't blink or you'll miss it!"

Mew-Mew flew away from Axel (much to his relief) and above the pool of water. She thrust her hands towards the rippling water, activity instantly arising within. At first, it was small with just a swirl in the center of the pool. Then, it grew to a monstrous size, the tides of it swaying threateningly. The spray of it splashed onto our ankles. The spray increased in height, until the majority of our clothes were soaked. Well, except for Vanessa. She was using the meek Jet as a human shield who, naturally, didn't rebel. The whirlpool kept increasing in speed, becoming a hole in the very water. But instead, when I looked in the eye of the whirlpool, I didn't see the sandy bottom. All I saw was a deep darkness.

There was just one thing Mew-Mew forgot. Butch and Cassidy were still in the water.

As one might think, the two grunts from Team Rocket were pulled into the vortex, swirling round before falling into the dark abyss of the whirlpool portal. Not a scream was uttered. They were still out for the count.

"Mew-Mew… you realize you just-" Axel started to say.

"It's alright Mister Lugia," Mew-Mew responded, keeping up with her giggling. "After we're done we can leave them there and they'll never bother you again."

"I'd prefer they'd bother me than somebody else in Ventus' world."

"Why Axel," Vanessa muttered coyly, a sly grin taking a prime spot on her face. Axel's eyebrow went up. "Was that… a… compassionate remark? Did I just hear you care about someone OTHER than yourself?"

"No, I don't think you did," Axel said simply as he reached for a pokéball, reflecting Vanessa's smirk. He opened the sphere, Kenya the Dragonite forming beside Axel with his eyes closed. The dragon sniffed once and opened his eyes. When his lids opened, he was glaring right at Vanessa, growls escaping his maw. Vanessa flinched. "Kenya. Would you mind escorting thief-y here to the portal? It's the giant whirlpool on your right."

Kenya could not have been happier to oblige. The Dragonite gave himself a draconic and toothy smile. Vanessa's face squished into a fearful one and she began to back away. Kenya wasn't having that. He flapped his wings once which was enough to get him close enough to curl his arms under Vanessa's and lift her into the air. She was fuming, obviously, as Kenya transported her above the whirlpool where Mew-Mew moved aside for him.

"LET ME GO YOU SORRY EXCUSE FOR A LIZARD!" Vanessa cried out, uselessly kicking the Dragonite. Kenya put his nose up to her and then dropped her, a pleased look coming over him. "DAMN YOU IGAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaaul…"

"Anyone else want to make a remark about my caring for others?" Axel asked, smug as could be.

We all shook our heads. Axel dusted off his hands. While we weren't saying a thing, we were thinking something collectively. That being: _He does, in reality, have a heart. No matter what he wants us to think. _

I stared at the portal. This was it. For real this time. Evil Voice, as I had come to call it, hadn't made a cameo yet. I gulped. And I wasn't about to give him a chance. I stepped forward, about to dive in when Amy grabbed my arm.

"Are we sure that's safe?" Amy rightly inquired. Funny. She didn't seem to want to ask that question when Vanessa was plummeting inside.

"BWAHAHAHAHA!" Axel laughed, returning to his usual demeanor. "Of course. Mew-Mew's not stupid."

"B-But," Jet piped up. "I-I-Is-Isn't it still a whirlpool?"

"Think of it more as a waterslide."

"That doesn't really help." Amy whispered.

"If you don't want to go further, that's fine," I informed her, my vision still on that whirlpool. Something unfamiliar bloomed inside my chest and I couldn't keep the happiness away from my expression. It was right there. Everything I had been taken from. A real home. A real father. A real life. It was where I belonged. And it was right there for the taking. I glanced over my shoulder at Amy. If I was going, she had to come with me. She had to meet my dad. She had to see my world.

I've said this before and I'll say it again. I had come a long way on this little journey. I had met these extraordinary people. I'd battled with ferocious Pokémon and dark monsters out for my blood. I'd traveled to another world. This next jump would make it twice that I'd done that. And most importantly, I had gone from wanting to leave Amy out of this dangerous quest, to tugging her by the hand into another universe. My universe.

My home.

"You're not afraid, are you?" I asked rhetorically. Why rhetorically? The answer was obvious.

Amy smiled and used her free hand to grab Jet's hand. She then jumped into the drink, dragging us both along with her. Jet, kicking and screaming. And me, laughing my head off.

Axel was right. As we were pulled into the vortex, it did feel just like a waterslide. Even if we had no control over it. We descended into the blackness, the pull of the currents leaving us as we did so. I went along for the roller coaster ride for the second time. However, unlike the last time, we weren't moving through it against our will.

This time, we were together.

**End of Chapter Eighteen. **

**Hey… What's up? How've you all been? I've been… slow.**

**Awkward. I'm just gonna stop typing now.**


	19. The Final Transformation

**Chapter 19: The Final Transformation**

Unlike our first trip through the portals, this jump wasn't nearly as taxing on our vitality. Instead of knocking us around like tennis balls, the pace the portal took in carrying us through the vortex was far gentler. We spiraled downward and before we knew what happened, we were somehow falling upward. Or was it downwards? It didn't really matter. The trip was comfortable enough in the darkness that the fact that we were falling through an endless void seemed insignificant.

After what felt like hours of this, our voyage was cut short by the feeling of water gushing behind me. I looked over my shoulder to find a wall of running water. I looked in front of me to find that I was riding the tides within this circular water wall. I was in another whirlpool, only somehow I was moving in the opposite direction one might think a whirlpool would take them. Upwards. The ride got much rougher than the portal ever could have been as the swirling seawater dragged me along in its own personal tornado. I shut my eyes just before spinning out of the loop, my dizzy form finding a seat in some shallow water. I held my head and waited for the dizziness to fade. Nausea had set in and vomiting felt like an inevitability.

"Uuugh!" I moaned, my stomach churning. That venture into the portal had started out fun but the ending left something to be desired.

My surroundings slowly became clearer. I was currently up to my waist in churning water, my chest being bombarded with waves every few seconds. Salt water was the only scent to smell. The odour was so strong that I could even taste it. The fact that I had gotten a mouthful of the stuff was also a contributor. I sat on sand, the possibility of a beach being my current location becoming ever more probable. However, it was hardly the sunny paradise I'd have preferred to land in. I didn't have to open my eyes to see that. The violent raindrops pounding against my skull were indication enough.

I opened my eyes at last. The first thing I saw was, of course, the whirlpool portal I had ejected from. The second was the raging ocean it was stuck in. Towering waves crashed in the distance, the sounds of them becoming increasingly close and violent. I stood up onto wobbling legs. They felt like jelly. My feet sunk into the moist sand beneath them, a headache blazing in my brain. I massaged my temples as I walked backwards, collapsing onto my posterior on the dry side of the beach.

"Okay there, Zack?" I looked up when I heard Amy's voice. My friend stood above me with a hand outstretched. I took it gratefully and Amy hoisted me onto my weak lower limbs.

"Yeah," I replied, not bothering to bring up the issue of the name. "You?"

"Just peachy. It was much better than the first time."

"Speak for yourself!" Vanessa's anger-emitting voice broke out behind me. I looked over and almost burst out laughing. Vanessa was squeezing the length of her hair like a dishtowel, salt water squeezing out of the lengthy strands. After she let her hair loose, it was incredibly frizzy. She gazed at her reflection with a hand mirror, a growl escaping from her lips as a hairbrush emerged as if by magic from her sleeve. She began frantically brushing her hair, expecting it to cooperate with every stroke, her progress non-existent. "RRRGH! I hate that lizard! And that man for that matter."

"I dunno. I seem to have found a new respect for both of 'em," Amy whispered to me.

"Can we please just not talk?" A desperate moan came from Jet, who was curled up into a ball next to Vanessa. I wondered why until I saw how green his face was. Yeesh. And I thought I was nauseous when I came out. "I'm afraid to open my mouth."

After a friendly snicker, our party was complete. A flying streak of orange flew out from the whirlpool portal. When the object stop flying, we were able to see that it was Kenya the Dragonite, his trainer riding atop his back as he hovered. Mew-Mew was soon to follow, soaring out of the portal like a pink furry bullet. She landed on Axel's head, beginning to make a game out of stroking at his hair like it was a scratching post. Axel didn't pay it any heed, probably because he was used to the act. The portal closed behind the three, becoming part of the sea's anger, waves churning through the area where it once was.

"So?" Axel asked. "Did everyone enjoy the ride?"

"You know my answer!" Vanessa shouted. Axel winked at her.

"Good to hear you loved it. Alright, who knows their way around?"

"No one. New world, idiot."

"Now that's not true. Mew-Mew's been here before."

"Yeah… she just left."

"She did?" Axel patted the top of his head, the Mew absent from it. Odd, considering I didn't even see Mew-Mew fly away. I looked around, as did Axel. However, Mew-Mew had indeed completely disappeared. We both scratched our heads in confusion. "Huh. She's pretty swift, ain't she? Ah well, she'll come back later. She usually does. Anyway, check out what Cassidy and Butch dropped before they transformed."

Axel reached into his pocket, removing another pokéball from within. I paid it no heed until I realized which pokéball it was. I gulped as a soggy memory glued itself to my mind. It was the Master Ball. Axel winked at me and stuck the sphere back in his pocket.

"Aww, don't worry. I wouldn't waste this thing on you."

"Gee… thanks," I replied, partly sincerely and partly sarcastically.

"Anyway, I'm gonna use it for something important. Maybe I can ctach something here. A world only inhabited by Pokémon has got to have somebody who's willing to join the-"

"Would you can it already?" Vanessa asked, returning to her calmer self. "What does that have to do with finding Ventus' dad? The world does NOT, in fact, revolve around you, bird boy."

"Says who?" Axel retorted. "Maybe this one does. Either way, I disagree that what you're talking about is more important than my Master Ball plans."

"It's the ENTIRE reason we came here."

"The entire reason YOU came here, maybe."

"Whatever," Vanessa said simply, not flipping out at Axel for once. I wasn't sure, but I think she was trying to show him that it was possible for her to keep a level head while talking with him. I had to wonder how long that would last. "I don't need to put up with you for much longer. We only need you for transportation anyway. You go off and have fun. The rest of us will do what we came here for."

"I like that plan! Let's go Kenya! Exploration time! Comin' with, Lucan?"

"Um…" I couldn't believe that I hadn't noticed the Pikachu on Axel's shoulder before. But he was there, considering the offer. He then shook his head. "'Nah, thanks. I've been here a billion times. I'm gonna stick with Ven."

Lucan leaped off of Axel's shoulder and landing in my outstretched arms. He quickly clambered to the top of my head just before I patted him on his head.

Kenya gave a draconic roar towards Vanessa, who didn't even flinch that time, and gave the rest of us a stern glare that sent our stomachs sliding into our shoes. Lugia or not, that Dragonite sure can make one sweat. Especially when you hear him start grumbling at you. Was it me, or was that guy always angry at something? Fortunately, that was all that the dragon did before flying off, furious huffs escaping from his maw as he did so.

The sound of Jet sneezing knocked me out of my fear-induced trance. I recalled that it was still raining hard as Jet repeated the action. I looked around for something that might give us shelter. On my right, the sandy beach became a gravel path that led up a hill, curving around a corner and behind a wall of tropical trees and ferns. This vegetation also bordered the backside of the beach, nothing visible beyond the barrier of plants. On the left side of the beach, there was a mess of black rocks jutting up from the sand, like the stumps of a clear cut stone forest. However, much like the beach Amy had shown me back in Los Angeles (boy, was that a long time ago), there was a larger and far more expansive stone present. It was a cave, and unlike Amy's, the entrance to it was above water. The entrance hole was expansive enough to fit two Lugias and the cave itself was large enough to accommodate the same number and species.

"How 'bout we hold up in there so Jet's cold doesn't get worse?" I asked, nodding towards the cave. All three humans suddenly started staring at me like I was crazy. Blood rushed to my face, making it glow crimson. "What?"

"Ven…" Lucan started to say atop my head. I glanced upwards, finding the mouse staring at me as well. "Don't you want to find your dad? He… has been waiting a while."

"Yeah…" Vanessa piped up, sounding somewhat concerned for once. Though I do emphasize the word 'somewhat'. "Almost fourteen years, actually. And forgive me if I'm wrong, but I believe he's become a bit… what's the word…? NUTS over that period of time. Don't you think it might be preferable to start looking for him?"

"Yes, V-Ventus," Jet said as he stood up and smiled, looking a lot more chipper than he did three seconds ago. "I-I'm good. It's just aller… aller… Aller-CHOO!"

Jet sneezed twice more in succession, forcing him to wipe his nose with his sleeve. I rolled my eyes. I appreciated what he was trying to do, but I wasn't going to risk my friend getting sick over it. I put a hand on Jet's shoulder and whirled him around like a top and pushing him towards the cave. He reluctantly complied, sneezing a few more times as he continued towards our temporary shelter. Vanessa and Amy shrugged at one another, coming along as well. I did yearn to find my father, but not at the cost of Jet's health. Besides, my dad's telepathy was astronomic in power. If we were lucky, he would have already detected us.

I really hoped so, considering how Jet's cold became small potatoes two seconds later.

It all happened in the course of a single second. But it felt like a year. First, a most peculiar hunger came over me, as if all the contents of my stomach had dramatically drained. Then a wave of goose bumps passed over the parts of my body that were still covered with human skin, a frosty cold slathering over the tissues underneath. My bones locked into place against my will, restrained by invisible chains. Jet kept walking, but I remained frozen, panic spiking up on my emotional charts. My face was just as immobile as the rest of my body. Blinking was no longer a possibility either, though my eyes burned. Keeping in mind that this all occurred within one second, I could only imagine what the next second was going to bring.

Don't worry, it was much worse.

The cold that wrapped my body like an ice blanket suddenly transformed directly into a blood-curdling pain. While movement remained an impossibility, javelins of pain were thrust through my limbs (yes, even the tail), my blood becoming searing as it burned through my veins. Pain became my new existence, wrapping and smothering my body. But I was unable to express it as my brain was still restricted from issuing commands to the rest of my body. My friends stared at me. I screamed out in pain only for my lips to remain glued to one another, my voice silent. The waves of pain convulsed over me, pounding against me again and again, each wave more torturous than the last. For what felt like hours, I stood there, in dire suffering, my friends continuing to gaze at me as if I was something possessed. Their mouths were moving, but no sound came out. Or perhaps it was, but I was too focused on my situation to pick up on it.

At last, my limbs were free from their frozen state and I was free to collapse and scream simultaneously in the sand. The others were quick to react. Vanessa and Jet each grabbed one of my arms and Amy wrapped her arms around my feathery belly. She flinched at the touch, considering I was still disguising my current half-Lugia form with telepathy. Fortunately, she quickly recovered when I released another yelp as the pain consumed me. The three of them yanked me onto my feet only for me to fall backward. Luckily, they were still hanging on and were able to catch me, dragging my writhing body across the beach and towards the cave. They brought me inside the naturally warm miniature cave, gently lowering me onto the soft bed of sand, bones rattling within me.

"Zack, what is it?" Amy asked me, taking my clenched fist into both her hands. "What's wrong?"

"I.. I think-" I managed to say in between rasps. "I think I'm…"

"Dying?! Oh God-"

"I'm… not… dying!" At least I hoped I wasn't. "I-I-I… I'm chang… ing."

"Seriously? Right now?"

"Y-Yeah. AH!" A spasm struck my body as the pain stabbed at my heart, completing its conquest of my insides.

"Oh crap! What do we do?" Amy turned her head to the other three, all of them looking just as flustered as her, red faces lighting up the shade of the cave. "Okay… um… Vanessa?"

"Alright," she said, contemplating the scenario handed to me, and by extension, her. "Lemme think."

_No, please, take all the time you need, _I thought angrily. _It's not like I'm in DIRE AGONY or anything. _

"Well, if I'm right, his father should know what to do. You!" Lucan jumped to attention when Vanessa glared down upon him. I think that was actually the first time she spoke to him directly. "Where's his dad?"

"Um, that's not gonna work," Lucan explained sadly. "He's usually hanging out at the bottom of the sea and the only one of us who can go there is Ven. The only reason I was able to go through a portal in the first place is because _he _came to me."

"Oh, that's just great. What now?"

"FOOD!" I no less than screamed. All heads turned to me. I didn't know why I just did that. But the pain and the hunger in my stomach seemed somehow associated with one another. The pain had gone from steadily increasing to stagnant. It was no longer evolving, but it wasn't showing signs of diminishing either. Something in my transforming brain told me that food was the answer. I needed food. It was completely necessary. That was my only thought. "What I need is food!"

"Wait! Are you in pain or just hungry!"

A fierce animalistic growl gurgled up my throat and through my snarling teeth, born from my intense hungry pain. Vanessa flinched.

"Okay, so you're both. Let's go find him something guys."

"I'll stay here with Zack," Amy said as the others ran off, searching for any possible sustenance. I writhed as the hunger in my belly became even more ravenous, the uncontrollable spasms continuing to rack my body. Amy was there to pin my shoulders to the ground so I didn't hurt myself, thankfully, but it was hardly enough. "So… Zack?"

"NOT A GOOD TIME TO TALK!" I yelled. Was I not being tortured by my own transformation, I was fairly sure she would've killed me.

"Sorry. But, y'know, talking might take your mind off it."

That was a good point. I could use a distraction.

"O…Okay. Wh-What is it?"

"I just wanted to make sure of something."

"Uh-huh?"

"You're really… gonna be a Lugia for good today, right?"

"Yeah…" That was odd. She sounded kind of downtrodden at that. That alone was enough of a distraction. Good, but also strange when you think about it. Don't get me wrong, I was still clutching at my writhing form, but it was lower on my priority list. "Something… wrong with that?"

"No. No, it's… great. Just great."

"When you say it like… agh… that, it doesn't s-sound great."

"Sorry. Don't mind me."

"Talk." I made the simple order. For one reason, it was to discover what she was blabbing about, and for another, I needed this conversation for my own relief. "What's the matter?"

"Listen, Ventus." No amount of pain could stop me from whirling my head around to stare at Amy. I was stunned. She just said my name. My real name. I stared at her as if she just ate a hunk of rock. She, however, rolled her eyes. "I'm not stupid. I know that's your name. And… I'm sorry I never called you that before."

"Go on."

"Look, this is… this is really hard for me to say."

"Why?"

"Because I…" Amy huffed in frustration, crossing her arms. She faced away from me, obvious anger radiating from her. I groaned inside. Wonderful. She was having emotional turmoil while I was having good old-fashioned physical turmoil. Not that I didn't care, but it's hard to worry about her feelings when I was beginning my final transformation.

That is, until I heard what she said next.

"I… I really…"

She mumbled something after that. I gaped when she did, but I wasn't sure if I heard her right.

"What was that?"

"I…" She looked over her shoulder and looked right in my twitching eyes. Her stare was confident and unwavering. It made me gulp. She spun around slowly, keeping eye contact all the while. For a moment, all we did was look at each other. I wasn't sure if there was anything I could do. I wanted to continue to struggle in suffering and hunger (which were almost one in the same by this point). But something about the way Amy was gazing into me made all of that seem so tiny. Almost like it wasn't there at all. The pain was irrelevant.

She placed a hand on my calm hand. Her other hand soon followed, both of them curling protectively around my own. When she looked, all she saw was a pale-skinned and bony little hand that she was holding. What she felt as her hands clasped around mine was a silky and feathery group of five digits. I didn't know why I kept my human disguise up. She knew it was false. She knew that I had already begun the transition long ago. She had already said it once. She wasn't stupid.

It was all automatic. I wasn't intentionally keeping that fake human form up. I had completely forgotten to. However, I knew it was still there. It had become an unconscious act. One that I wanted to let down. I wanted to be real. To show Amy that I wasn't afraid of what I was about to be. And I wasn't. I had accepted being a Lugia a while ago. It was so perplexing. All at once, my inner thoughts were in turmoil. I tried letting the veil of humanity go. But it didn't leave. I could sense its existence around me. Why, I asked myself, wasn't it leaving? Maybe the pain I was feeling was too much and I simply didn't have the energy to disobey my own subconscious actions. Or perhaps it was more than that.

Amy gently squeezed my hand. It felt nice. There was a wondrous sensation of something warm and soothing inviting itself into my arm from where Amy was holding it. It slithered up the limb like a snake, the warmth coiling comfortably around me. The pain within me seemed almost non-existent. The feeling was so unfamiliar. I let it spread through me regardless, using it to combat my own struggle. Amy had always been with me ever since the start. I knew that this feeling, whatever it was, was alright. I knew because it came from her.

"I got something for 'ya Ven!" Amy's hands let go of mine when Lucan's voice broke out near the cave entrance. The instant she released me, the sensation left as well. The aching hunger and body returned to me with a vengeance. Amy's face flushed red in embarrassment while mine did so due to the fever. Lucan walked up to me with a smile, a black-dotted blue item the size of a baseball being carried with both his hands. "Here, I found this oran berry and-"

I have no idea how he was going to finish that sentence. I just heard the word 'berry' and went berserk. I launched myself at Lucan, grabbing the berry and shoving the entire thing into my mouth. I barely chewed the thing one or two times before I swallowed it whole. It wasn't about tasting the damn thing, it was about getting nutrition inside me. It wasn't enough. Not by a long shot. Lucan saw my distressed face and didn't hesitate to run off without a word, hopefully to search for more food. My stomach gurgled. Following up on that, a bubbling sensation occurred in my legs. Without warning, the bones inside them shattered like glass. I let out a scream, a fire ripping through my legs.

My eyes went cloudy. I reached my hands out towards the cave opening. My thinking patterns diminished. My logic was simple. There was food out of this cave. Food would solve my problem. It had to.

I heard someone speaking. I heard two people speaking. No, there were three. I knew they were speaking English. However, for the life of me, I could not possibly identify a word they were saying. It was all gibberish.

I couldn't dwell on that. Not when a blurred blue object was thrust in front of my face. It resembled the berry from before, so I took it and devoured it like I had the first one. And like the first one, it was nowhere near satisfying. Fortunately, another one was shoved in my face. I ate that one as well. More berries replaced that one, coming in all shapes, sizes and colours. Starving, I consumed all of them as swiftly as they would spawn.

While my dire desire for food was being processed, my real development began. The pain was just the appetizer. And now it was time for the main course. It all started with my legs. My legs didn't so much as 'grow' as they did 'expand'. They puffed outwards like a balloon, whatever hair I had on them, falling off like some invisible razors had cut through, leaving my skin softer than the finest of silks. My legs continued to expand, blubber filling in the empty space like water filling a jar. Without knowing it, the two toes next to my big toe were suddenly fused together, the toenails snapping off of them and falling into the sand. My pinky toe and its adjacent toe fused together as well, each continuing to morph my feet into a Lugian version of what they once were. Once my legs and now six toes had finished expanding, new and stronger bones began to reconnect the shattered pieces of them inside. Their colour then began to shift. The skin dramatically changed from pale to the white of an albino's skin. Then, a thousand tiny needles poked at my legs, each one sprouting into a silver feather. The feathers grew faster than anything possibly could, completely shrouding my new Lugian limbs.

Next up was the torso. My belly swelled just like the legs did as I continued to chow down like a starved lion. There wasn't much change in the lieu of skin or feathers, since that was completely covered, as it were. However, the insides were another story. My organs squelched and churned, starting to expand alongside my belly. My ribs cracked much like my leg bones had and expanded, fitting like jigsaw pieces into their new place gradually. New girth poured into my expanding midsection, which would normally make me one fat human. But considering where the growth ceased, I had instead become a rather skinny Lugia.

The tail was the most painless part of the process. My fifth limb had almost been fully grown anyway. All that remained was for my spine to achingly extend more, the flesh surrounding it pushing out of my backside to keep up with it. I felt the tip of my tail come into contact with the rocky wall behind me. Fortunately, it ceased growing at exactly that point.

In a flash, the remainder of my skin turned white. There was no transition. It was bright peach one second and plain white the next. Almost as an answer to this, all the hair on my head fell off in massive clumps, thick piles descending like feathers into the sand. In those few seconds, I was rendered bald and without eyebrows. As a replacement, I was given a much needed replacement. Feathers sprouted like flowers where hair once was, spreading like a disease across my skin's surface. The appearance of one feather was quickly followed by another and another, until the layer of feathers was given to suit my new shape.

Time for the wings. No amount of food could have given me the strength to withstand the next slice of growing pains. The bones in both my elbows shattered like the ones in my legs had. I shrieked through a mouthful of berry, nearly choking in the process. My arms were rendered useless and I flopped into the sand helplessly. Unfortunately, my hunger remained. The food was just above my head and I lifted my thinker up through strength of the neck alone, biting at the fruit and getting juicy mouthfuls as the transformation proceeded unhindered. My arms did not expand outward, but seemed to flatten. Of course, the sensation was also felt in my bones as they were crushed instantly. Tears of anger, fear, and agony flowed down my face as my fingers flattened one after the other, each one earning a moan from me. Only when my appendages were paper-thin did they begin to grow wider, new bones growing from the remnants of the old human ones, lining themselves like a strong spider's web within the confines of my flesh. My wings grew to their full form, dropping like discarded flags onto the ground, ringing with unadulterated aching.

Now for the grand finale. The head and the neck. It may have been because the suffering had reached a point to where I had gotten used to it, but it didn't seem that bad when my spine elongated for areas that weren't the tail. My neck grew as a tree branch would. As new vertebrae came into being, my neck's length increased by another inch. And with every inch, my neck became a little more flexible as brand new bones grew in as if from nowhere. As the serpentine neck came in, my head took on its new shape as well. The top of my head felt like a golf ball was about to tear out of it. My jaw was similar, only it felt like it would be torn out entirely as well as my nose. My skull morphed into a Lugia's, my nose melding into my jaw, the beak coming into existence. The skin around my new muzzle hardened just before all my teeth (barring the two canines on the bottom) simultaneously fell out. Two incisors burst from the hard structure of my upper beak, becoming two of my four remaining teeth. Finally, as my head pointed into a spike at the back, the navy blue 'mask' materialized around my eyes like magic. Or maybe the two masks just grew on. I don't know, I was so pain-drunk that I passed out in my Lugia body the second it did.

I was happy.

I can't explain how giddy I felt when I woke up. An unstoppable orb of delight flourished inside me, flowing to my face and stringing a smile like a clothesline on it. I opened my eyes. I don't think I've ever been so happy before or since then to see a cave ceiling. Well, maybe once. But the point is, I couldn't resist the ecstasy whirling within me. And why would I want to? It felt so wonderful to be breathing such fresh and lush air and to just be living in general.

I sat up, taking inventory as I did so. The wings felt tingly, but fantastic. My tail swished back and forth on its own. My lack of control over it may have studded from the lack of experience with the extra appendage. Oh well, I'd get used to it. Besides, I could no longer imagine life without a tail anymore. I had been a complete Lugia for three seconds and I already had quite the attachment to the tail. Besides in the literal way. My body was swimming in a sense of satisfaction. Maybe because how full my stomach felt. Seriously, how much _did_ I eat while I was transforming? The world may never know.

I looked around. The beach was vacant. Not a one of my friends had stayed behind in case I woke up. That was nice of them. Oh well, my mood was too good for me to care.

It was still raining. That much was clear. In fact, I think it got worse. Booming thunder could be heard in the clouds, a bolt of lightning flashing here and there. That brought down my mood slightly. Flying right now wouldn't be considered was. It was a real shame. I was looking forward to trying out my wings now that they were here. These wings didn't feel like they did when I had temporarily transformed. This felt… more real, if that makes any sense. Now that it was permanent, all I desired was to exist in the sky and the sea. The sea was still an option, of course, but I didn't want to leave my friends high and dry when they came back.

So I waited. I waited and I contemplated. Once again, glee conquered the disappointment in my head like an army. I shut my eyes and reached out with my telepathy. And boy, how that had changed with my body. I could see for miles in my mind's eye, life forms, animals and plants alike, revealed themselves to me, the thoughts of the Pokémon easier to access than a pantry cupboard. I even sensed my friends. For one reason or another, they were up the path on the other side of the beach. The end of that path appeared to feature wooden buildings no larger than your average doghouse lining a trodden dirt road. That road led to a cliffside. For a bunch of animals, this type of architecture was impressive. However, that didn't matter. The reason being that I finally saw why my friends were there. And it wasn't for a birthday party.

Behind each of my friends, I detected a short quadruped creature. The thing is, I couldn't tell whether they were flora or fauna. If my inner eye was seeing this right, these reptilian creatures had a bulb growing out of their backs that almost resembled a Hershey's kisses treat in shape. That was odd enough, but what ticked me off were the vines that were protruding from these creatures. Wherever they were coming from, these new appendages were wrapped around the wrists of my human friends, binding them together like a pair of vegetative handcuffs. For Lucan, they simply coiled the vines around his whole body, arms and legs restrained.

I didn't need a second look. I was on my feet in seconds. I flapped my wings powerfully, propelling me upward. No time to revel in flying. I had rescuing to do.

Or I would have had a very similar vine to the ones holding my friends not wrapped around my ankle the moment I got airborne. I looked down and followed the chord of vegetation to its source. My eyes narrowed when I saw another quadruped Pokémon, very similar to the ones up in the village. This one was much larger, easily reaching the size of a large boulder. Its pimply skin was a deep green which complimented the gigantic pink flower growing out of its back. Its red eyes glared at me with contempt, making me wonder what I ever did to piss this one off.

I shouldn't have wasted time wondering. He was able to get the drop on me, a pair of new vines bursting from the rim of the flower on his back. Before I could react, one vine coiled around my muzzle, clamping it shut. The other, with incredible strength, encircled my entire form and snapped both my wings to my sides. Needless to say, I dropped.

I hit the water with no resistance, impacting painfully in the shallow tides. I was dragged out of the waters soon after, getting towed up onto the beach. The creature began to walk up the path, with tremendously loud steps, taking me along for the ride. I attempted to remove the tendrils with telekinesis. For a moment, it looked like I was going to succeed. The ropes began to slide off gradually. However, I saw a sparkling blue powder being released from the top of the creature's flowery back. All was well until the powder came in contact with my face. I sniffed it once and almost instantly, my senses went numb. My head dropped into the sand as a fog came over my mind. Psychic abilities ceased to be an option and my woozy brain shut down.

**End of Chapter Nineteen. **

**Okay, so it was shorter than the last one. But at least I got it done quicker! Thanks for all the reviews everyone! I really appreciate it. **


	20. Losing Control

**We've made it to twenty chapters! Hooray! It only took three years. **

**And to celebrate, I think it's finally time I started doing review responses for this fic. Just because I like you all. **

**Review Responses: SneakyDevil - Just a little one. Trust me, by the end of this, it'll be the least of their problems. **

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**Russetwing - You already beta-read (thanks by the way), so you already know the answer to some of your questions. But still, I love it when people ask questions. Then I know for sure they're intrigued with the story. Thanks Russet, my friend!**

**Potayto: Thanks very much. Sorry I never respond to any reviews for this story, but seriously, thanks for all of them!**

**dazzathelucario - I try to put in humor where it's not distracting, but sometimes I think I need to be serious to accurately portray the situation. I'll try to pump it up, but these next few chapters are meant to be seriously toned. **

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**Tanon - Thank you! I hope you like this next one as well. **

**The Jokerman - I'll try! **

**Chapter 20: Losing Control**

Whoever originally said the words: "life is not fair" was, in my opinion, the universe's most insightful philosopher.

One minute you're living your ordinary life with a stepdad who you, granted, get to stomp the stuffing out of later. The next minute, you're a legendary bird for a while. And in the one after that, you're meeting a whole bunch of sadists in a bio lab, soon followed up by the sudden appearance and departure of a very infuriating hybrid who's messing around with time travel. And then, finally, you're back in your own dimension after such a long and difficult journey only to find that the locals are hostile. In the words of that wonderful man's immortal soul, life is not fair.

I'm not sure how long I was towed along like a boat. Whatever that powder was, it kept me in a nice little comatose state. Completely zonked out, I had no idea where I was being taken, but I was sure given a rude awakening when I got there. This came in the form of what felt like a baseball bat striking me across the maw. I snapped awake, anger immediately flashing into me.

First thing's first, I took stock of my surroundings. The first painfully obvious thing was the sheer amount of angry eyes glaring right at me. The creatures I had scanned with my mind earlier certainly were just as furious as I had thought. And all that hatred had been concentrated, swirled together, and focused solely on me. Every single eye held a new way for me to flinch at how much these creatures seemed to despise me. Even the pink fluffy sphere-shaped Pokémon glared at me like I just burned her house down. I didn't even think I could cover the variations of Pokémon that were currently staring at me. The most intimidating of all these was the giant electric yellow ape-like Pokémon standing a few feet away from me with his arms crossed. I think he was the one who gave me the wake-up call. With fists like that, I'm surprised he didn't take my head clean off. Next to him stood a pair of bipedal chameleon creatures. One was green in colour and the other was a bright violet. Both still had that strange hateful look in their eyes. The rest of the party was crowded behind these three, some small some tall, some gray and floating, some short and resembling slime. Some were furry and some were scaly. Some were feathered and some were insects.

I attempted standing up, finding my wings unable to do so since they were constricted to my sides by the vines that had captured me in the first place. I turned my head over my shoulder, seeing the Pokémon that caught me. Needless to say, I didn't think he planned on releasing me. Behind this behemoth, I was able to catch a glimpse of the faces of my bound friends, the smaller versions of my captor keeping their wrists restrained. Amy gave me a look of confusion and all I could do was reflect it. Speaking of confusion, there was something missing from this equation. And it was rather obvious. I only saw three of my friends in captivity. The only one missing… was the smallest one.

But enough speculation. I was a tad busy being punched again by the black-striped yellow monkey. I stared daggers right into his glassy eyes, no longer flinching from the loathing projecting from them.

I then noticed something peculiar about the eyes. I couldn't put my wing on it, but something was… off… about the eyes. Not just his either. There was definitely something going on with every eye in the audience. But again, no speculation. Another punch was delivered to my head. This time, however, I took action.

_Stop that, right now! _I shouted telepathically, sending a psychic his way, effectively knocking him off his feet and onto his back. I was about to use my newfound complete powers to break out of my plant prison, but unfortunately the warden of this prison was a step or two ahead. The creature behind me released similar spores to the ones that had sedated me earlier. The effect was less potent this time, but still quite intense. I breathed in the spores, my body locking into place as if paralyzed, my psychic abilities getting cut off along with my movement. I was aware of my surroundings this time, but I had absolutely no input. I was like a statue, motile only with aid. Even my eyes were locked onto the same speck of dirt they had been when the sensation struck. I couldn't even blink, though my eyes burned.

"You won't harm us any further," the creature behind me stated this obvious fact. I would make a snappy remark, but my jaws were currently stapled to each other. "Your father's done enough of that."

What did he just say?

And again, I received a wallop to my face for the trouble of wondering such a thing. Frozen solid, I just took it, my head returning to its original position after the punch like an elastic band. Then the ape came even closer staring right into my terror-stricken eyes as he prepared another whallop.

"Your!" He punched me. "Father!" He punched me again. "Destroyed!" And again. "Treasure!" He kept them coming. "Town!" And one more for the road.

"Stop it! He didn't do anything to you!" I wasn't sure how lucid I actually was after that beating, but I was pretty sure that was Amy's voice. "He just got here! And he just trans- MMF!"

From that last muffled word, I suppose they gagged her. I couldn't muster the power to be angry.

"You must pay for his insolence!" They decided to mix it up this time with a pounding to the gut. I coughed pathetically, completely winded. "Pay! Pay! Pay!"

They began chanting that one word over and over, endlessly, as if it were a religious hymn. And it was then, in my peripheral vision, I finally realized what was so peculiar about the eyes of these Pokémon. Mostly because every last eye in my audience began glowing. The exact same colour. That would be creepy enough in itself, but the eeriness became tense fear in an instant. Why?

They were glowing a familiar dank purple.

I attempted to combat against the state I was in once again with the same amount of luck I had previously. An invisible bucket of ice-cold water washed over me as the sensation of oncoming dread I had come to know so well stabbed my heart where it hurt. My struggling was nothing more than wasted energy as the front row of the crowd suddenly lunged at me. I don't think I'll ever recall the succeeding events. All I remember is the feeling of claws, fists, talons, whips, and various other appendages striking me in their own individual ways of causing pain, up and down my body from head to toe. By the end of it, which was my next moment of lucidity, I was being knocked to the ground, my head landing with an ear-thumping thud.

_Depressing isn't it?_

I was so punch-drunk that it took me a minute to notice the cold and creepy voice worming into my brain. I had no energy left to be afraid or even respond.

_You spend all this time trying to get back home, going through hell and back, and what do you find when you get here? Instead of a welcome home, you receive a beating. Not very gracious._

_What… _I said telepathically, finding the power to think somewhat coherently again. _What are you?_

_Excuse me? _The voice responded, sounding almost insulted.

_What… the hell… are you? I've been hearing you since the lab. Why are you talking to me?_

_Ventus… I'm just here to help you reach your full strength._

_Yeah, somehow I don't believe the bone-chilling person who keeps saying that he's gonna kill my friends. _Anger was returning to me along with my consciousness, spiking my brain with newfound vitality.

_I'm appalled._

_What?_

_I am not a mere 'person'. Frankly Ventus, I thought you knew me better than that._

_Don't talk to me like we're good buddies. I know you're the one who sent me to Axel's world! I know you're part of this shadow-thing's army, sending all of these things after me to kill me!_

_Kill you? Really Ventus, wherever did you get that idea?_

_From the creatures. They said very clearly that they planned on killing me! _The rage in me spiked, giving me the strength to struggle against my vegetative prison to no avail. _Or did you forget that little fact?_

_Ventus… I would never kill you. I need you._

_You need me, huh? _The furious feeling in my stomach increased to its boiling point, combatting the coldness that the voice projected through me. _Well, you can just go to hell then, can't you?_

_Don't speak to me like that. After all, that's just poor self-esteem._

_SHUT UP! _I screamed mentally as I opened my eyes wide, expecting to find a mob of angry Pokémon about to mop the floor with me again. I did not. In fact, the Pokémon had disappeared altogether. So had the ground beneath me. Every surrounding that had taken up my vision earlier had been removed from reality, as if someone had taken a giant eraser. Instead, all that I saw around me was a white void. The ropes that had once held me in place were still there, except they were no longer composed of vines. Instead, they were bitch black cords that were coiled around my Lugian body much tighter than the vines. I almost missed them from how tight their replacement was. I struggled pointlessly in the white emptiness, not getting anywhere. I tried to tear them apart psychically, but to no avail.

"_It's pointless now." _I jumped in surprise when I realized that the voice had gained actual sound. Not only that, but it had appeared right in front of me. I looked up… and my heart almost stopped.

It was a Lugia. One might think it difficult to see a Lugia with a pure white backdrop. However, this was no ordinary Lugia. I almost wouldn't have recognized it as one at a passing glance. This Lugia's feathers, which are meant to be a shimmering silver, were a grimy purple. The crest on this Lugia's belly, instead of a calming blue, was a tainted lavender. The same colour scheme plagued its eye masks, back plates, and tail spikes. This Lugia stood at my usual height, with an almost sadistic smile on its beak. All of this would have been disarming to see, but the thing that instantly transformed the rage I felt into a liquid cold fear that froze my lungs solid, were the eyes.

The eyes were red, but nothing like mine. The whites of the eyes, the iris, the lens, everything, were all blood crimson. The eyes gazed into my own, with no narrowed expression or anything indicating anger or sinister intentions. However, these eyes were not innocent eyes. These red eyes stared right through mine into my soul, scanning it, scrutinizing it, and torturing it with the very sight of them. I tried to blink or turn away, but the Lugia's stare kept my eyes open and focused as if a pair of giant hands were holding my head and eyelids in place. My fear multiplied tenfold every second. These eyes _were _fear incarnate. I didn't care what I had to do. I wanted to get away. I felt like I was going to die. Moments passed like hours, my fear becoming a disease, slowly decaying my insides.

"_Ventus," the Lugia spoke, the voice that I had heard all along manifesting within it. "You've done so well. Good work."_

"_Wh-What are you-?" _I tried to ask the question, not getting very far in my current mindset.

"_I knew I saw potential in you. Even back when you were just a little hatchling."_

My eyes somehow widened even more. I just put it together. I was face-to-face with-

"_Yes. That's right. So we can figure basic things out it seems."_

"_You're what kidnapped me? Y-You took me away from my parents?"_

"_Why yes Ventus. I am the shadow that whisked you away. It was the most intelligent decision I have ever made, I can assure you."_

"_What the hell are you?"_

"_In a few minutes," _his smirk got wider, _"I will be you."_

My stomach dropped into my feet.

"_What did you say?"_

"_Ventus… my poor ignorant soul. Has the question never occurred to you?"_

"_Which question?"_

"_If I had wanted you dead and could invoke my influence in creatures, why have I simply not invaded your mind and made you kill yourself?" _It hadn't occurred to me. My heart wrenched as a new wave of terror washed over me. _"I shall interpret your silence as a negative response. When I took you Ventus, I left a small part of myself inside your head. You grew up and I was always there. Observing you. Never influencing in case I ever attracted your unwanted attention."_

"_Why?"_

"_Pardon me?"_

"_Why did you do it?" _I was nearly in fear-induced tears at this point. But I still struggled on with my questions. _"Why did you do this? What do you possibly get out of this?"_

"_I get you."_

"_Why do you need me?"_

"_Ventus. You don't need to know what I am exactly. All you need to know is that I am a creature that thrives on fear, misery, and anger. The fear you are feeling at my very presence can attest to this. And that fear, in turn, fuels me. I need fear Ventus. And I need misery. Separating you from your parents granted me such misery from your mother and father. And the misery of a legendary Pokémon, and a telepathic one especially, is delicious. Take my word for it. It was the most scrumptious slice of sadness I have ever tasted. The fear of a parent losing their child and a child losing their parents is the height of anguish. It was enough to keep me alive for these thirteen years."_

"_Then why are you doing this now? You got what you wanted, now… LET ME GO HOME!"_

"_It's not enough Ventus. I can't live as an incorporeal being. I want a physical body. One of my imitations will not do. I want a legendary body." _Its head came closer to me, eyes boring into me further. _"I want a Lugian body."_

The horror within me reached its peak and my heart felt like it stopped. I couldn't look away. I couldn't speak anymore.

"_I couldn't take your father's body or your mother's. Their mental shielding was too strong. But as luck would have it, they were having you. The perfect little host. But the problem remained. You were an infant. And if I let you grow up in the comfort of your parents' home, your mind would have become equally defensive. So I did something drastic. I took you away. To a world without Pokémon. I knew one of your parents would follow you. After all, that's how I designed the portal. With no other options, that parent would transform the both of you into humans. And thirteen years later, I would open the portals slightly once again. Why wait so long? Well, I had to be sure that you would have no knowledge of your Lugian heritage until the last possible moment. So over the years, I spent the time planting a spike of insanity into your father's weakened heart. And now I've amplified the anger of these villagers, to weaken your current physical and mental state so that your resistance would deteriorate. Oh and Ventus-"_

It moved its maw next to my head, freeing me from its stare for the moment; however, I still found it impossible to blink.

"_-Your mother's body that she made for herself when she transformed the both of you was built to last longer than it did. I was the one that sped the process along."_

Tears breached the floodgates of my eyes. These weren't just out of fear. Rage had found its way into me as well, coming out in the waters. The Lugia laughed.

"_That's it. Hate me. Fear me. Loathe me. It makes you all the more susceptible to me. That hatred's been thirteen years in the making." _It continued to snicker sinisterly as the power I felt from it grew tremendously, making me feel small and insignificant by comparison. _"You don't disappoint, Ventus. When you became a Lugia for the first time, I sent my creations after you to make you think I was trying to kill you. When in reality, you were always meant to defeat them. I wanted you to get stronger in a very short amount of time. And the only way to do so was to send you into battle with deadlier and deadlier creatures. You performed to my expectations. Some of your friends hoarded the battle experience, but you still received enough of it. You grew into a strong legendary Pokémon. And now that is what you are, I don't need those creations of mine anymore."_

I felt cold envelop me fully as the white void began to fade, blackness overtaking it. The light continued to fade, more and more, until the only light to see were the red glowing eyes of the being that had destroyed my life. And now it was about to take it. Hopelessness flowed through my veins as I struggled uselessly against the power holding me. I squirmed like a fish drowning in oxygen. It was pointless and my rational mind knew it. But my rational mind was starting to fade along with the light, the red eyes becoming the only thing in the universe.

"_I don't need smaller creatures anymore. I have you now. I AM you now. Ventus is no more. Don't worry. I'll take good care of my new form. All my power and all my soul I now host inside of your head. Goodbye Ventus. And thank you. I truly appreciate it."_

_My friends… _I thought, my mind calling out desperately for somebody… anybody to help me. There was no response. _Dad… _There wasn't a chance. My mind began to fail me, my limited vision fading into complete blackness, the red eyes disappearing. My life disappearing.

_Mom…_

* * *

Ventus cannot tell the story from this point. Instead, I'll take up the narration responsibilities. It's a pain, but someone's got to do it.

As Ventus experienced all of the above, the rest of the human crew were seeing a different show. They were standing behind Ventus and the Venusaur (the creature restraining our Lugian friend), their hands tied behind their backs by the Venusaur's smaller cousins, the Bulbasaurs. The moment the crew of village Pokémon went berserk and started knocking the stuffing out of Ventus, Amy, needless to say, had a few objections.

"Stop! Let him go! I WILL TEAR YOU ALL APART IF YOU- MMPHH!" The Venusaur, having become annoyed by the volume of her voice, had let loose another vine from his bulb to cover her mouth. Vanessa wasn't exactly content with what was happening, but she was standing right beside Amy, who had been spitting in the thief's face with every syllable. So she was just a tad thankful that someone shut her up.

Jet and Lucan had shut their eyes, not wanting to watch the carnage. The cries of the Pokémon amalgamated into a chorus of absolute fury, Ventus letting out a grunt of pain, not able to manage anything else due to the state that Venusaur's Stun Spore had left him in. Though from the amount of fists clocking him in the jaw and the amount of claws slashing at him all over I'd assume he'd be feeling unimaginable pain. Bummer.

Eventually, the mauling ceased, the anger of these creatures not fading. Their clenched teeth seethed, fangs glistening in the sun. Those who lacked teeth glared at the Lugia who had been knocked over, eagle spread with bruises and scratches that drew blood all over his body, breathing hard. I get the impression that Amy was the angriest of them all, face resembling a tomato as she fumed. The Bulbasaur holding her was struggling to keep a grip and had to call in another to prevent her from breaking free and causing a massacre of her own.

"Okay," Vanessa said calmly, yet cautiously, eyes darting to a new Pokémon each second. "You've beat him up. Now, Lucan, why did they do it?"

"Pika, Pika, Pikachu!" Lucan explained. Vanessa rolled her eyes.

"Great, since they knocked out bird boy we got no translation. Just great."

You know what was really great? The fact that they were released seconds later. Actually, that's not the first thing that occurred in the next few seconds. First, and probably the worst of it all, was that the sky turned purple. That was enough to bring Amy's anger down to a level where it could be mixed with fear, but that wasn't all. Secondly, the eyes of the Pokémon, which the crew hadn't yet noticed were all identical in colour, began to glow that same purple. Simultaneously, as though each had suffered a heart attack, they all collapsed, seizing uncontrollably. This included the Bulbasaurs and the Venusaur, who naturally let all their captives go.

That small victory was short-lived. There was the sound of an explosion from above and the group of humans and the Pikachu instinctively covered their heads and ears. After the sound had petered away, they turned their gaze skyward… and fell back in shock. Not from the hole that had been punctured in the sky. That was normal to them at this point. No, what ignited a bonfire of terror was what was emerging from that portal. It was something they had all seen in a vision given to them by some kind of psychic individual. But it was something they hoped they would never have to see.

It seemed to be nothing more than a shadow. That shadow, shaped vaguely like a snake, spiraled downward from the great purple yonder, bringing an aura of power in its wake. An unseen force plowed into the quartet like a tidal wave, knocking them all off their feet and sending them flying. They landed on their backs with a thud, each of them letting out a grunt of pain. The disorientation from getting winded gave the shadow enough time to complete its work. It wormed its way to the Earth (or whatever it was called in this universe), leaving strands of purple mist in its wake. The unconscious Ventus was unable to even notice it as the snaky shadow coiled around him, a purple aura glowing bright around him as it did so. The Lugia remained motionless as the shadow seemed to completely engulf him.

And then the shadow transformed. The shadow, which had appeared to have been made out of a gassy substance suddenly began to bubble into liquid form. The bubbling hot purple muck spread all over Ventus' body, entrapping him within. And in terms of peculiar actions, the thing was far from done. The unconscious Pokémon surrounding Ventus and his friends all began to emit pitch-black smoke from their body, as if on fire. However, this smoke was the same texture as the shadow had been moments earlier. This smoke also billowed towards the liquefied shadow, as if sentient. The smoke emanating from the Pokémon soon faded, combining entirely into their point of origin. The shadow.

Ventus' friends had recovered at this point, brushing themselves off. When Amy looked over at what was transpiring, she didn't hesitate in running over there, stepping over multiple Pokémon on her way to the pile of slime encasing Ventus within. Honestly, I don't even know what she planned to do when she got there. I just know she's crazy.

Fortunately, that wouldn't matter. Another wave of psychic energy struck her, sending her skidding backward once again. She was thrown onto her back, snarling at whatever was so adamant about keeping her away. She attempted another charge towards Ventus.

She was too late.

The slime surrounding Ventus began to absorb into him. The slime fit the Lugia like some giant suit, turning his entire body purple. The silver colours had abandoned him completely, leaving this dark replacement. The plates on his back faded into a lavender colour, however, as did his eye masks and tail spikes. All of them looking much sharper than they had previously. Amy stopped in her tracks as the behemoth was freed of his liquid prison, clambering up and standing with his spiked back to them, tail swishing out behind him.

"Ven! You okay?" Lucan asked, his heart beating a mile a minute. The other three stood in a mixture of shock and confusion. They weren't sure what was happening. Swarms of butterflies were flooding into their stomachs. Their hands trembled as they stared at their friend and comrade.

Then he turned around. And their fear multiplied tenfold. Ventus' eyes had changed. They were red, but now, they were wholly red. No whites, no blacks, no irises. Just a blood crimson. As they stared into the eyes of the legendary Pokémon, a fear unrivaled was injected into their spines. They froze on the spot, their feet unmoving as the beast walked towards them slowly, wings hanging limp at his sides. The strangest smile came across his face, the group unable to speak with the fearful emotions the Lugia was forcing upon them.

_Medallions._

They all heard the word in their head. They'd felt this sensation before. It was Ventus' telepathy, but it didn't feel like Ventus' telepathy. This voice inside their heads gave them all instant headaches. As the words came into their brains, a violent pain came with, forcing them all to clutch their heads, gasping out in agony.

"What the hell?" Vanessa screeched, dropping to her knees.

_Medallions. Give them to me. Now._

As the group of humans and the Pikachu trembled in torturous mental anguish, the Lugia stopped approaching, opening his maw. The wind began to pick up around him as a sphere of energy built up above the Lugia's black tongue. The energy took on the form of aeroblast, except for the colour. Once again, the bright blue wind had been twisted into a black vortex, no light penetrating it. And before the group had even noticed it, it was being launched towards them.

And then our real hero made his appearance.

"Bi-Bi! Use Protect!" I yelled, the Celebi on my head flying off of it to dive in front of the pained humans. Bi-Bi's eyes glowed green and as the Shadow Blast, as I had dubbed it, came inches from the Time Travel Pokémon's face, a transparent sphere of emerald light appeared around Bi-Bi and Ventus' pals. The Shadow Blast impacted with the barrier, exploding into a gale storm of dark wind that blew the Pokémon lying on the ground off to the sidelines. However, due to Bi-Bi's power, the group within the sphere felt nothing.

'Ventus' hadn't seen that coming. His pure red eyes widened and his smile fell off his face. I looked at him from afar as Kenya approached the village at top speed. The dragon I was riding on charged ahead like a jet plane, soaring right past Bi-Bi and the humans, claws surging with draconic energy. The Lugia didn't see us coming and Kenya was able to charge right into him with twin Dragon Claw attacks, violently slashing and knocking the titan onto his back. Kenya hovered before lighting down, allowing me to hop off, facing Ventus' friend. Due to Kenya's intervention, their cranial trauma seemed to have faded, Vanessa returning to her feet. I smirked and shrugged.

"Come now, people," I said in my usual, rightfully smug, way. "Are we really not even trying?"

"But-" Amy said, stunned as she stared at the Lugia Kenya and I had rescued her from. She shook her head violently. "Why did you do that?"

"Because he was trying to _kill you! _Or do you enjoy that?"

"He-He wasn't! It's Ventus!"

"Yeah… when he resembles something from a horror flick and starts attacking those around him, I'm reluctant to believe it's him in there anymore."

"No! He's in there!"

"Don't be stupid."

"What did you just say to me?"

"Look, he's possessed. And that Dragon Claw isn't gonna keep him down forever! Speaking of which, Kenya, use Thunderbolt!" I pointed toward the Shadow Lugia as I know called Ventus. Kenya obliged, electricity sparking at his antennae just before a massive burst of it arced towards the Shadow Lugia, frying him till he was nice and crispy. However, the bird's only response was to growl angrily, as if the volts pouring into his body were a minor annoyance.

"STOP!" Amy shrieked, leaping at me like a crazed Tyranitar. I caught her fist in my hand, staring right into her eyes as she snarled.

"Did Jet's mom hesitate?" I asked. Her anger faded into confusion. I furrowed my brow. "Did anyone who was possessed look like they still had some of themselves in their new forms? I may not have been there for most of them, but did it look like that Shadow wasn't completely in control? Don't focus on me. Focus on staying alive and you might actually save him. I don't know why this shadow waited so long to get the bright idea of taking over Ventus, but if we're gonna get him back, we need the one thing that can actually snap these victims back to reality."

"Wh…" she seemed to accept my (usually perfect) logic, the pressure she was putting into her punch disappearing. I let her fist go and she let it fall limply to her side. "What's that?"

"Find his dad."

"Sorry?"

"If Ventus has Surge of Soul, and that can bring people back, then I'm willing to bet his dad has the technique too. So, you guys go with Lucan and find Ventus' dad. That's the best course of action right now."

"And what exactly do you plan on ding while we're off on this mission?" Vanessa asked me with that nosy way she does. I could do without her prying, honestly. I do hate questions and she as a ton.

"Don't worry, I'll take care of tall, dark, and ugly. Getting his dad over here is just for the finishing blow. No worries, I'll have this guy down and out. Five, six minutes tops."

"Yeah… I don't believe you."

"Why Vanessa, you do care," I replied so sweetly that it made me sick. Oh well, I still pride myself on my acting. Her face went beet red.

"Fine. You want to kill yourself, it's no skin off my nose. Come on, all of you." Vanessa took out her medallion, as did Jet. Amy looked at the thing using Ventus' body as its own (which Kenya was still pouring an unholy amount of electricity into), a grim look on her face. She turned away and put on a brave face, removing her own medallion from her pocket.

"Frozen Soul!"

"Burning Soul!"

"Golden Soul!" The three humans used their medallions, all transforming into the three legendary birds in the usual orbs of light. I smirked. 'Bout time they started listening to me.

"Um, Axel?" I heard a tiny and familiar voice speak to me from my feet. I looked down, finding Lucan with a paw on my pant leg. "I'll stay with you. Maybe I can reach Ven!"

Without hesitation, I picked Lucan off the ground and walked over to the Articuno in front of me. With a running jump, I managed to reach the ice avian's head, dunking Lucan on top of her like he was a basketball. He looked at me, puzzled. I gave him a serious look and shook my head.

"You, little dude, are the only one who might be able to find Ventus' father. You know where he might be hanging out, so take these weirdoes along, would you!"

_HEY! _Vanessa thought at me. I rolled me eyes.

"Well, I'm not the one who transforms into a Moltres, am I?" I stuck both my hands behind my head, grinning. She was steaming.

_This coming from the hybrid!_

"Details, details. Move along now." I gave them a shoo-ing motion, looking into Vanessa's eyes with my regular amount of class and dignity. Vanessa glared at me and thought a very unpredictable thought.

_Don't go dying now._

I arched a brow. Was she trying to get something out of me? Well, whatever it was, she wasn't getting it. The trio of birds took off toward the ocean, Lucan pointing them in the right direction. As they passed over the Shadow Lugia, the beast's attention was centered on them. He broke free from his electrocuted stupor and flapped his wings.

The result was unexpected to say the least. Ventus could never do this. With one flap of the wings, Shadow Lugia sent a swirling mini-tornado of darkness swirling towards us. Kenya tried blocking, but he was swept off his feet, landing near me. My dragon companion opened his eyes angrily, getting up to confront the bird who was now on his feet and had leapt after the fleeing feathered ones. I felt a tad insulted. Why? Well, my thought process is hard to explain to those who don't already understand. Let's put it this way.

I don't like it when people don't pay attention to me.

I grabbed a pokéball from my pocket and tossed it. Knowing who was inside, it made becoming the center of attention, like I deserve to be, come to reality.

"Crystal, Kenya, use Dragon Claw and ground him!"

My dragon brother and sister complied, Kenya flying upward at higher speeds than the Lugia could hope to master and the Flygon bursting from her pokéball to follow suit. The two each hovered above one of the Shadow Lugia's wings claws glowing blue. They both then clawed at the wings, sending a jolt of pain coursing through the bird's wings and bringing him down like a meteor. The Lugia collided with the Earth gloriously, face first.

"BWAHAHAHA!" I laughed as the Lugia threw Kenya and Crystal off of himself, the two lizards hovering just above him. The bird turned its head to look back at me, not able to find the humor in what just happened. I hate it when people don't have a sense for these things, but it wouldn't stop my good time. "-AHAHAHA! What? Can't take a joke?"

He glared at me, trying to send fear into me, but receiving only boisterous laughter. I kept my grin up, grabbing the rest of my pokéballs from my pockets as I did so.

"Sorry, bud. Trying to make me afraid through telepathy ain't gonna work. I got brain defences that you can't even comprehend. Nor will it work on any members of this family. We're a _little _too smart for that!"

The Shadow Lugia remained silent, its stare only intensifying as it stood up, trying to look intimidating as it made the purple sky begin to flash as if lightning were among it. I giggled. It was adorable. I threw my pokéballs, releasing all of my family members that hadn't yet been called out. Callin (the Noctowl), Dan (the Quilava), and Lily (the Milotic), for those of you who haven't been paying attention.

"I know what you're thinking," I began shrugging my shoulders. "How am I possibly supposed to win? This team is just so unbeatable. And they've got a hybrid leader who's strong, smart, brave, and devilishly handsome!"

I dropped my smile and glared at him just as intensely as he was to me. I then adjusted my glasses.

"And I do emphasize, _devilishly."_

**End of Chapter 20.**

**And before I officially end it, I should mention that I have a beta-reader now. The lovely Russetwing has been kind enough to do so! Thanks again Russet!**


	21. Self-Interest

**Yes, it's been a while, but I'm back with the five-chapter-mega-finale of Where I Belong: A Tale of Legendary Birds! I've tried writing it a few times, and these five chapters came out ridiculously cheesy every time! If you're not a fan of the end I understand. (It's fanficiton, so, honestly, I think it's supposed to be cheesy!) However, I worked at it so I desperately hope you all read and enjoy! Thanks much and have a great day!**

**Chapter 21: Self-Interest**

Don't get me wrong, I love a challenge. These days, it's nearly impossible to find a good one. The closest I came over the last year was an… interesting fellow named Apollo Ruanea and his sister Mila among very few others. But there's something that's so gratifying when you conquer those challenges. It's so satisfying to let those smug schmucks know who really deserves to be the smarmy bastard.

This challenge, however, I could do without.

"MOVE IT!" I shouted as the Shadow Lugia prepared the third Shadow Blast (a purple Aeroblast which I had so cleverly labeled) of the day. He was a frisky one. Maybe I underestimated him slightly.

Slightly.

The Shadow Blast flew right by us as Kenya, Callin and Crystal flapped into the air, Dan dashed behind a building for cover, Lily slithered off, and Bi-Bi floated over the assault.

"Keep going Edward, you'll get us eventually." 'Edward' hovered across from Kenya and I, tilting his angry little head gradually. "Sorry Edward. I had to give you a name big guy. I can't just keep calling you Shadow Lugia. That's just poor manners. Do you like it?" Edward growled. "Oh, good! I'm so glad. Anyway, shock him Kenya!"

Kenya's antennae flashed and sparked, releasing a bolt of lightning which thundered towards our good buddy Eddie. Eddie was quick though. He charged and released another Shadow Blast that intercepted our Thunderbolt and exploded.

"Dan, Flamethrower! Lily, Ice Beam! Crystal, Dragonbreath! Callin, Air Slash!"

Dan, being the smart little fire type he is, jumped atop the hut he had hidden behind and, a flurry of flames bursting from his maw as he did so. Lily, from her vantage point in the bushes, prepped an Ice Beam and fired the lightning-like attack with ace precision. Callin displayed his impressive aerobatics by looping around Ed and giving his wings a powerful flap, sending a sharp slice of air towards the lovable Lugia. Crystal unleashed a blast of green draconic energy from her muzzle, all four attacks surrounding Ed. As I suspected, to avoid them, he flew upwards, slipping as gracefully as a raven into the sky. I smirked. This was too precious. He was so cocky that he was keeping his eyes on where he was going and not even on us. Unfortunately for Eddie, Kenya's a silent flyer.

"Now," I whispered to my bro and he soared upwards. He wouldn't hear me at this speed, so I tapped him twice on the shoulder. He knew what that meant. As we increased our altitude, Kenya activated his Dragon Rush, his body becoming submerged in a deep navy blue aura. With both his claws and tail glowing an even brighter blue, Kenya slammed into the ascending Shadow Lugia. Before he knew what was happening, Kenya slashed at Ed's wing joints, literally throwing the behemoth into a spiral. Falling face first, Ed would be met with quite the surprise. The four attacks he had avoided before were fired once more. With pain racking his wings, the big lug was simultaneously burned, cut, shocked, and frozen from all sides. I love combos.

The tub 'o lard landed with a crash, cracking the earth below with his impact. Kenya hovered closer to him, growls still emanating from the dragon's throat.

"So, Ed?" I asked, grinning at him as he unsuccessfully attempted to rise. "Say uncle? Come on. Just once? I promise I won't tell anyone."

In a rather uncouth gesture, I sensed him attempting to activate his psychic abilities in order to decimate us with a psychic wave. Using my own (brilliant) mental techniques, I suppressed it, like letting the air out of a balloon. I winked at him as he glared up at me.

"Naughty, naughty. Didn't anyone tell you that it's not nice to blow people apart with Psychic? Come on now. You're reasonable. I'm reasonable to a degree. Wanna talk?"

With a single stroke of his tail, Ed's answer was clear. When the sharp tail spikes swung upwards, Kenya dodged narrowly. Someone was cranky.

"I like your answer. Kenya, give 'im a Hyper Beam, if you'd be so kind."

If smiles could kill, my dragon brother would've committed genocide then and there. Fortunately instead, he just built up the power of Hyper Beam at his maw and sent it towards Eddie with love.

Now, keep in mind, I don't often get a swelled head. But I admit, in that particular moment, I had gotten a tad (a _tad_) overconfident. As Kenya shot Hyper Beam in what looked to be with straight and true accuracy, Ed escaped the blast in a surprising feat of vitality, swiftly ascending with a strong flap of the wings. Crafty minx had been playing dead. Before I could even call out for a countermeasure, Ed had already summoned a swirling tornado of darkness. And Kenya, having to recharge, was caught up in it. And let me tell you, it hurt. I shut my eyes as a sensation of knives slashing over my skin came over me. I was thrust off of Kenya as I was tossed about in the vortex. Oh, trust me, this wasn't going to be forgiven. I went deaf for a few seconds, the only sound in existence being the slashing and whirling of the tornado binding me to it. My glasses fell off at some point and I know for sure that my face was bleeding. However, I was able to escape thanks to a pair of appendages that appeared as if by magic under my arms. I was pulled forcefully from my wind prison, my eyes opening to see the thing dispersing, Kenya dropping like a stone in water. He wasn't knocked out, but he looked pretty banged up. Before he would bonk his head, I yanked his pokéball from my pocket and shot the traditional red beam to recall him. I managed to catch him in time and he returned to his pokéball. I exhaled in relief as I hung from a pair of claws, suspended in midair.

"Thanks Crystal." I said as I tilted my head up to look at Crystal, my Flygon sister. She nodded in response and I looked past her at the rat bastard who caused it all. Of course, without my glasses, all I saw was a large purple blob. I removed a spare pair from my front pocket, throwing them onto my face. Ed hovered above me, still glaring like the complete jerk he was. Honestly, not many people manage to embarrass me like he did. "You're rude. And that's no way to start a relationship, just so you know."

He gave me another sneer as he tilted his head, confused at my gentlemanly behaviour. I was just trying to give him a tip for future social interaction and he sneered at me! The nerve of some demonic hell-spawned monstrosities these days.

"So, Ed, not in a mood to talk I take it?"

He grumbled.

"Come on, dish. Is it because your voice is really silly? I won't tell! Pinky swear! Well, if you had pinkies…"

As if he couldn't be any more impolite… he charged another Shadow Blast. Crystal had the sense to flap out of the way, taking me along with her to narrowly avoid the dark energy which struck the earth (or whatever this place was called) and left an unsightly crater.

"Now look, you can try to kill me all you like but vandalism is a big no-no. I think I need to… ahem… protect this place."

Ed tilted his head in confusion for a second and instantly regretted it. Bi-Bi, understanding my cue, descended in a flash, activating her Protect and slamming into the back of Ed's head with the emerald defensive shield. Eddie was sent into a tumble again, landing with an even bigger thud.

"Before he can get up! Trap him with Reflect! Callin and Bi-Bi!" The pair complied, activating multiple psychic barriers around the big guy like a box and pinning him. Crystal put me down as I dusted myself off. The tornado of shadows hadn't left me unscarred. I limped over to Ed, grinning as I shuffled closer. Ed was… taking it well.

"I know, I know, not many people would think to use of a defensive attack offensively, but y'know, I like to be weird. So…" I knelt down next to his snarling face, smirking triumphantly. "… wanna talk now? Or do I shove you into a pokéball and wait for this whole thing to be sorted out?"

Ed remained silent.

"Hey, whatever. Fine by me. I'll talk. After all, I do have to compliment you on something." My grin dropped and I furrowed my brow. "I just love your style."

Ed stopped struggling for a moment, staring up at me with what appeared to be interest.

"I mean… it's got me all over it. Using people, manipulating them, taking control to do the job perfectly. It's gonna crush his dad if he sees this. And I gotta admit… when someone pisses me off, I tend to enjoy their pain. For example, you just hurt Kenya, one of the few creatures in the universe I actually give two Rattata droppings about, and I'm feeling pretty damn ecstatic to see you struggle. I just wanted to say…" I said as I removed a pokéball from my pocket. "… I get the fun you must have had taking control."

With a swift summoning of psychic energy, Ed threw the Reflect walls off himself, manipulating them and sending them flying towards their creators. With a surprising amount of skill, considering whose body the thing was using, the wall morphed and stretched as it approached Bi-Bi, surrounding the Celebi with it. It tried to do the same to Callin, but fortunately, the Noctowl was swift enough to dodge it. However, the Quilava behind him wasn't as fast. The barrier boxed Dan in, the fire Pokémon resisting his new cage with no luck. Before I could even speak up with a word of protest, what appeared to be black smoke flooded into the boxes, engulfing the two. Upon diminishing, the energy left behind a fainted Quilava and a heavily breathing Celebi. After which, Ed manipulated the Reflect walls once more, sending them towards Callin and Crystal. Sensing their location in my mind's eye, I pointed at the two with both hands, sending a psychic wave of my own to shatter them. It worked and Ed glared at me.

"I may not have any flying type moves in my arsenal," I said as I blew on my fingers like a pair of smoking guns (which they were… kind of). I then used Dan's pokéball to recall him. "But I'm a killer psychic."

_Indeed. _

"Excuse me?" I retorted, cupping my ear and winking at him. After hearing that cold, unfeeling voice, my four remaining partners gathered around me to protect me. Unnecessary as far as I was concerned, but whatever. "Was that a response I heard?"

_Yes. It was… Hybrid. _Ed stood up, a smile breaching his face for the first time. A sinister one, but still, we were making progress. _From your previous words… you seem to understand, strangely enough. The… traditional foe would say something along the lines of, 'I'll never let you possess my friend' or something to that effect._

"When you possess one of my friends…" I began, adjusting my glasses and grinning slyly. "… I promise, I'll say that."

_Ha ha! _Oddly enough, Ed didn't have a maniacal laugh. In fact, that chuckle sort of reminded me of my dad. _Very amusing, Hybrid. _

"Thanks. I try."

_I know that's what Ventus would say. You wouldn't believe the boring thoughts that run through this boy's head. 'I want to get home. Who is that shadow? Does Amy like me?' Things like that get very annoying. _

"I imagine he's struggling pretty hard in there?"

_Not quite. Once I have someone, supressing their consciousness isn't very difficult. I suspect his personality to completely vanish as soon as I'm through with him. Shouldn't take more than a few hours. It's not often I take a body for myself. Usually, I just… influence imitations of creatures that I create. In that case… something of the host survives. However, it feels… thrilling to be physical and assimilating a personality again. _

I whistled. "Pretty sweet. This what you do for your birthday? Or is this more comparative to… bowling night for you? I guess it doesn't matter."

* * *

Meanwhile, as we had a nice conversation, the other four were out at sea, crashing waves beneath them as they glided towards the eternal blue horizon. Lucan occasionally nudged Amy, who was in the lead, left or right to get them on course. One wonders how he knew one part of the vast expanse of water from another, but they couldn't argue with the Pikachu. He was the only one who seemed to know where he was going. I doubt any of them would be capable of finding Ventus' father on their own.

The trip was mostly spent in silence. Jet was trying to keep up with Amy who was soaring faster and faster every second, her eyes focused on the furthest edge of the sea, as if her goal was right before her. Her thoughts were ablaze with a rage that almost thawed her icy feathers. Jet's avian feet were trembling as he flew, clearly not acting as a Ho-Oh should. Trust me. I've _met _a Ho-Oh and he doesn't get afraid, just angry. Lucan was keeping his mind on guiding everyone to their destination, uncertainty flooding into his tiny heart.

As for Vanessa, she never told me how she was feeling. The further she flew, however, she began to lag behind. She had to shake some unusual thoughts out of her head, falling even more behind as a result. Eventually, she just stopped, hovering in place above the water, her wing flaps sending enough force to make the water ripple despite the distance. She stopped to think for a second and then whirled around, a fierce determination in her eyes.

Lucan heard the sound of Vanessa having stopped given her not-so-silent flight. He turned around himself and poked the back of Amy's neck. The Articuno looked up at him in annoyance, but turned that frustration to Vanessa when she saw what her friend(?) was doing. She let out a bark, making Vanessa stop. Vanessa turned her head to face Amy, glaring just as intensely as Amy was.

This next part was a problem. They weren't able to talk, considering that they wouldn't understand one another. Vanessa tried to explain herself, but after sending out gibberish from her beak, the Moltres grumbled angrily to herself for being stupid to think it would work that time.

"Pika! Pikachu!" Lucan spoke up. Vanessa stared at the rat on Amy's head, the electric type pointing at his ears. Something in Vanessa's head clicked and she realized what the Pikachu was trying to get across. For the reader's convenience, I'll translate what she said according to Lucan's memory.

"That idiot is just playing decoy. He's gonna get himself killed."

Lucan nodded, smiling.

"And I am _not _letting that jackass die until he compensates me for spitting in my face, going behind my back, lying so much, and threatening me with that dragon who, for the record, needs a breath mint!"

Lucan's smile widened. In an impressive feat of agility, he leapt from Amy's head, all the way to Vanessa's back. He turned around to look at the confused Amy and Jet, pointing in the direction they were originally headed. Now, what he said next came out as a string of him saying his name over and over. But in reality it was actually a very touching speech about the power of friendship and spreading their responsibilities out so everyone would get out of this alive. Brought a tear to my eye. Of course, it fell on deaf ears at the time, but trust me, it was extremely moving.

Anyway, enough about that. The pairs went their separate ways, Vanessa and Lucan heading back to help me and a bewildered Amy and Jet leaving to find Ventus' father.

* * *

Now, back to our true hero.

_So, Hybrid. _Ed said as we both paced around each other slowly, my Pokémon keeping close to me in case he tried something. We stared into each other's eyes, trying to predict the other's next move. I found myself having as much trouble in breaking through his mental locks as he did with mine. I wasn't worried. It was good to have a challenge, as I've said before. _If Ventus is not your friend, why are you trying to help him?_

"Oh, that's a good one. Help _him. _Really Ed, you must go into comedy. You'd be a smash hit. I'm not doing this for Ventus. I'm doing this for me."

_Do tell. _

"Of course. Y'see… I really couldn't care less if Ventus gets out of this alive or not. I don't really care if the father and the son reunite or not. In fact, it might be better for me if both of them get removed from the equation. After all, that'd be two less people who know I'm a hybrid."

_Is that it? They know too much?_

"Pretty much. I mean, they do exist in a different universe and all, but you can never be too careful. I'm helping them now just so they'll be happy and not think of coming back to my world and starting little rumors. It's… not convenient if people know what I am, y'see. I need to tie up these loose ends before I move on."

_Oh? You don't trust them?_

"Of course not. In my experience, trusting anyone is a bad idea. Once I'm done here and everyone's back in their original worlds, I won't have to worry about Jet, Amy, or Vanessa anymore. And with any luck, I can convince Mew-Mew to prevent the Lugia family of this world from coming into mine if they ever decide to drop by."

_Hmm, you seem… _Ed swiftly sent a large boulder towards me with Psychic. Lily, being as elegant as she was, used her glowing fan-like Iron Tail to rally the boulder like a tennis ball. Ed, just as quickly, blocked with his tail, the spikes easily shattering the hurling hunk of earth as if it were a clump of dirt. _…confident that you will free Ventus from my control. _

"Well, you know." I adjusted my glasses again. They never can stay still. "I do have at least ten minutes of free time. Might as well."

_Hybrid. There is a flaw in your logic. _

"I supremely doubt that."

_There is. Your priorities do not seem to suit your actions. You do not want anyone to know of your hybrid existence. Why not simply… leave me be? Better yet, help me with my goals. That way… you would remove all witnesses and I would be free to… achieve what I want. _

"Hahaha… oh… that. Well, you see, that's simple." I let my smile disappear. "You're a witness too. And I'd put my money on you as the one to most likely make my life a living hell given the opportunity. After all, you had no qualms with doing it to Ventus."

_My, my. You really don't like making friends._

"Heh. The idea of friendship is a fantasy. And… really? Friends with you? Please. I know your type. Manipulative, sneaky, always up to something… that combination just comes out to bad news every time. And plus… just look in a mirror. You literally _look _evil."

_Heheh, know my type do you? Have you met someone like me before?_

"Oh yes. I know him well. Only unlike you…" I ran my fingers through my shimmering hair. "…he's simply divine."

_Arrogant to a fault. You really are half human. _

"Yeah, I know I'm arrogant. I know I'm manipulative. I know people can't stand to be around me. I like it that way. It gets me places and annoying people tend to stay out of the way. Most of the time, anyway. Truth is… you're dealing with the most selfish lifeform in the universe."

_Interesting. Usually, when I possess people, I find that they're blind to their faults. I use the guilt they feel at this realization to aid in my takeover. However, I suspect that won't work with you._

"Can't say I regret anything. What's that feel like?"

_Ha ha. I'll let you in on something, Hybrid. Just because you're about to die and all._

"Funny. I was thinking the same thing."

_Believe it or not, there was a time when I thought like the average human or Pokémon. I could… help people. I could… enjoy life and be happy. But then… let's just say that tragedy struck. Now I am what you see before you. A being that requires another to physically exist. A literal soul-sucking parasite. _He chuckled. _Needless to say it's not a beneficial change. Putting it simply, I am a being that requires fear, rage, sorrow, and anguish to live. I feed off those emotions. Without them… I cease to exist. I want to exist. _

"Who doesn't?" I said, yawning. "Existing is fun most of the time. Unless Vanessa's on your case about something."

_Vanessa? Oh, yes, the one with the power of Moltres. _

"Yeah. Speaking of which, earlier, when the idiot trio were here, you were very interested in their medallions. What's the deal with that?"

_I think I've already told you plenty, Hybrid. _

"I disagree."

_That's your opinion. Tell you what… for every question of mine you answer, I'll answer one of yours. I'm… rather intrigued by you, Hybrid. _

"Sounds good."

_I have seen another flaw in your logic. You've had… Vanessa… and those other insects within a perfect opportunity for elimination before. Why did you never go through with it if you wanted no witnesses?_

I shrugged. "Too much effort."

_I would appreciate it if you didn't lie to me when I asked a question._

"I'm insulted."

_So am I. You literally had Vanessa within your Dragonite's grasp in your world. And you didn't even know that she had Moltres' power. I think you're lying to me Hybrid. _

"Which universe are _you _from where that makes sense?"

_As a matter of fact… I'm from yours. But that's not what we're talking about. I don't think you're as selfish as you'd like me to believe. Why go to all the trouble of escorting Ventus and his friends to this world if you didn't care?_

"I answered your question. Now I ask one."

_You just did, so I get to go again. _

"That doesn't count."

_Now you're being childish. This next question is of the utmost importance. I'd appreciate it if you didn't lie this time. _

"Oh?"

_Throughout this entire conversation, I've been attempting to possess the minds of you and your… family, as you call it. Now tell me, why have I been making no progress at all?_

"Oh, that." I shrugged. I had felt something resembling psychic influence attempting to brush the corners of my mind, but he hadn't seemed to notice my ace in the hole yet. "Well, y'see… that's the thing about psychic powers. Or… any skill, really. No matter how much you practice… no matter how much you build your strength up… there's always-"

In that split second, I snapped my fingers. And just as expected, Ed was suddenly assaulted with a blast of flame, a torrent of water, and a bolt of lightning all at once from behind. He was propelled towards my family and I by the unexpected assault, Crystal and I dodging him to the left with Bi-Bi, Callin, and Lily sliding to the right, all of us snickering as he toppled over like a skyscraper.

"-someone better." I finished my sentence as Mew-Mew flew towards me and sat on my head, stretching a paw in front of my eyes expectedly. I grinned and reached into my bag, removing a muffin sealed in saran wrap and gave it to her. She munched on it as Ed recovered from his humiliation. "Give it up man. I got Mew-Mew on my side. And she's a Mew in case you haven't noticed."

_Yes. I can see that. _Ed said slowly as he pushed his bulky self on his feet with his wings. His tail swished out behind him, the spikes casually slicing a nearby house wall open. _So… that's how you've been defending yourself. You have the… the scum with you._ _So Mew… or should I call you Mew-Mew? Resorting to helping half-breeds now, are you? For what? Muffins? _

"Ayup!" Mew-Mew shouted with pride just before munching the muffin heartily, dropping crumbs onto face. "I know it's an unbalanced deal, but lending my power is really all I can do to repay such tasty treats."

_You… really don't know what you're dealing with… Hybrid… and Mew… _

"My turn," I said. My hands waved to my family as I circled behind Ed, backing away to a safe distance. With that tail and those incisors, close range wasn't an ideal fighting position. I directed Callin to roost in the branches of a nearby pine tree, blending in under its shadowy canopy. Bi-Bi took notice of the ever so subtle swaying of my index finger and hid in the wreckage of one of the huts. Lily and Crystal are too large to hide for a sneak attack, but with what I planned to do, they wouldn't need to. "Why do you want the medallions?"

_Why do you think? Those medallions are bursting with the life force of the legendary birds. Right now, I've taken the strength, the will, the raw power of a Lugia. With those medallions, I'll have the power of all five. Or… I would have had that rat not taken all of Zapdos' energy. _

"Heh, good ol' Lucan."

_Oh well, no harm done. Three medallions will be more than enough. And besides… who can possibly stop me? Ever since they gave up their energy to help Ventus, Zapdos, Articuno, Moltres, and Ho-Oh have been in hibernation in their caves, on their little islands far away. And the power of four legendary Pokémon… who can stand up to that?_

"I dunno… I mean, I'm doing a good job so far."

_That's rich, Hybrid. The only reason you're still alive is because I'm interested in you._

"I think we should just stay friends."

_Hilarious. _For some reason, I don't think he was being very genuine when he said that. And yes, I was quite insulted. _My turn. _

"Shoot."

_How painful would you like your death?_

"I don't care. I just need it to be a good death."

_How about pointlessly and very, very far from home?_

"Hmm, I'm afraid I'll have to decline! Mew-Mew! Go!" I pointed to Ed, shouting that last word with a bit more anger than I meant to convey. Mew-Mew complied, floating towards him as her eyes began to shimmer with an eerie scarlet glow.

_Mew-Mew NO! _Ed screeched mentally as he whirled around, his entire body suddenly exploding with dark energy, cloaked in an aura of black fog. In an instant, he was just a mass of blackness, only his blood red eyes popping out. I quirked a brow. This was new.

_Surge of Soul!_

"What?" I said in disbelief as the aura left him, separating from its host to fly as Ed's duplicate. The cloud of darkness collided with Mew-Mew, coiling around her and strapping her small arms to her sides. A startled squeak escaped her as she plummeted to the earth, letting out a pained yelp as she hit the ground. The shadow covered her completely, the tiny feline inside writhing around, struggling. Moments later, the shadows faded, leaving an unconscious, battered, heavily breathing Mew-Mew lying on the ground.

"Mew-Mew!" I shouted before pumping a fist towards Ed. Crystal responded as I'd hoped, emerald green energy bursting from her draconic maw, the Dragonbreath attack acting as my cover as I ran alongside it to reclaim Mew-Mew. Ed smirked. He flapped his wings, mixing the surrounding gusts of air into a shadowy tornado, the two attacks fizzling each other out. I scooped Mew-Mew up in my arms before he could think about another, returning to Crystal's side.

"Mew-Mew… come on, say something." I urged her, leaning in to whisper in her twitching ears. She opened her eyes a fraction, a tortured expression forming over her face. I growled at Ed. "You're asking for it."

_Didn't… want to waste that. _Ed said, breathing heavily. _It requires some time to recharge… the Surge of Soul. However, to get that Mew out of the picture is worth it. _He started chuckling, a freakish rumbling wafting from his throat. _With her gone, I can get inside your head, crush your thoughts-_

"That's pretty silly of you to think." I heard Mew-Mew speak up. I tilted my head downward just preceding a furry paw slapping me square in the forehead. A sharp pain shot through my skull. I cried bloody murder, nearly dropping Mew-Mew in the process. I fought my reflexes and held on as the jagged worm of torment squirmed in my brain. I got down on my knees, not sure of what Mew-Mew had just implanted in my mind.

Ed had an idea though. I don't think he liked it very much. His crimson orbs widened as he built up his Shadow Blast, firing it hastily. I couldn't react- I was too busy cringing. All I heard was an explosion. All I felt was the rude sensation of getting knocked on my backside by a shock wave, legendary cat Pokémon still curled up in my arms, messing around with my head. I clasped my head with one arm when the pain subsided, holding Mew-Mew with the other.

"Okay… that's new," I murmured as short pants shot through my throat. I opened my eyes, teeth clenching at the sight. "Lily!"

The Milotic had taken the full brunt of the attack, now down for the count. I clasped her ball and called her back, the crimson energy returning her to its confines. My eyes darted to Ed, Mew-Mew's mental meddling making my brain blossom with new knowledge. I smirked.

"Thanks Lily. You might have just saved the day." I winked at Mew-Mew. "And thank you, you beautiful thing." I gave Ed my best smug grin. Keep in mind, I have a damn good smug grin. I get lots of chances to practice it. "Nearly Ed. Nearly. But Mew-Mew's just increased my abilities. I've already raised a stronger mental block so you can't go running around in my head. But that's not all I can do now."

_What are you-?_

"Hold that thought!" I said as I thrust my palm towards Ed, shutting my eyes as I activated the psychic part of my brain once more. Not to defend this time, but to send a strong blast of psychic energy towards Ed. He staggered. And that was what gave me my opening. My head whirled to Crystal. "Dragonbreath!" Crystal opened her maw, a stream of green lightning bursting from it. The distracted Ed was helpless before it as sparks of the draconic energy washed over him. I smirked. "Feel that? That's paralysis circulating through every inch of you." I reached into my pocket, removing the Master Ball I had recovered from the scuffle with Lati-Cassidy and Lati-Ben. "I've been a bit careless so far. You got a free shot on Kenya, Mew-Mew's intervention gave you your chance at Lily, and Dan's departure was totally my bad. But once we get you in this, we won't need to worry about that." I pulled my arm back for the pitch. "Hope you're patient. Who knows how long it'll take to find Ven's dad." I threw, my arc straight and true. The sphere was right on course for Ed's rigid leg and I was preparing my victory strut.

I really had an off day that day. It was a Tuesday. Tuesdays are never good. Also, the sun was in my eyes. No, I am not in denial, Kenya. Shut up.

To further support my defense, no one could have possibly seen this coming. A strand of the same shady substance Ed's Surge of Soul was made of shot from the earth, coiling around the pokéball and throwing it right back at me. I caught it, my fingers clenching around the sphere as a trio of dark tentacles lashing out from beneath, all in our direction.

"Crystal! Dragonbreath!" I gave the order and Crystal complied, the jet of draconic power surging from her maw. When the energies collided, however, Crystal's attack was rendered useless. The shadows passed through it with ease, one of them wrapping around the Flygon's middle before she could try anything else. Her claws lit up and she scratched at the energy. But alas, it was useless.

"What the-?" I couldn't even react before another of these appendages reached out to snatch Mew-Mew from my arms. It swirled around her tail, hoisting her out of my reach with remarkable speed.

The final shadow came for me. I activated my psychic abilities to guard from the immaterial attack, but it broke my barrier with ease, grabbing my arm and pulling me towards Ed. Crystal and I dug our heels in, snarling up a storm. I guess my Pokémon half activated, because I was releasing a very animalistic growl.

"This is new." I said through clenched teeth as well as a fierce glare.

_Like it? _Ed replied as he brought himself to his feet, shaking the paralysis off like an old coat. _I just made it up. And now-_

The darkness wrapped tightly around Crystal and Mew-Mew began to morph and shift, becoming a gel which surrounded the two individually. What looked like dark lightning then struck the two within their new cages, both of them making pained expressions. My eyes widened of their own accord. Unlike his cubes, I couldn't touch Ed's new toys no matter how much psychic force I put into my attempts. With my free arm, I reached for Crystal's ball and tried to recall her. The beam was unable to make it past the coating of darkness.

Seconds later, the shadows faded and the two dropped to the ground, both landing in a heap.

_-they're finished. Same'll happen to you in a minute. I took a note from you and decided to take some of the Mew's power. _

"Cheater."

_Only using what's available. I'm absorbing your energy too. _I glanced at the tentacle around my arm and grimaced. _I can improvise as well, Hybrid. Now. I'm finished talking with you. _

His eyelids twitched and that was a clear sign he was preparing for his attack. Worming free wasn't an option, believe me, I tried. I thought of something my two remaining Pokémon could do, but there wasn't time for my idea. The darkness was beginning to ripple. I could only let out a cold snarl.

Until, that is, a bright, shining, noisy blip showed up on my telepathic radar. My eyes flared open. My rage faded to be replaced by a snickering amusement. I burst out laughing. One might think that this would confuse Ed. Quite on the contrary, he sensed the blip too. It was a pretty big blip. Of course, it also helped that the blip was screaming at the top of her incredibly expansive lungs, because she said the following in just one breath.

"THE ONLY ONE WHO'S ALLOWED TO JUDGE, ATTACK, AND DESTROY HIM IS ME YOU PILE OF VOMIT!" Ed whirled around to receive a hands on experience with Vanessa's Flamethrower. The distraction was enough for me to wriggle out of his grasp while the thief showered him with flames. I peered up at the Moltres hovering above Ed and I and I grinned when I saw Lucan atop her head.

"Lucan!" I called out. The pointy ears of the Pikachu twitched. "Jump and use Volt Tackle!"

From the distance we were at and the rain blurring the lenses on my glasses, I could only see the faintest resemblance of a smile on his face. He must've gotten the message. He was leaping off Vanessa a moment later and leaning into a nosedive. Sparks shot from around his body as Volt Tackle activated, a cloak of electricity surrounding his body. Ed was still hung up on that Flamethrower, so by the time he had summoned a dark vortex to dispel it, Lucan was already on the lower half of his descent. He crashed into Ed's chest, the sparks slathering over his black feathers. Lucan got out of there in a hurry after the Lugia started stomping.

_F-FOOLS! _Ed shouted mentally as he flinched from the shock. That word would've bombarded Lucan and Vanilla like shrapnel if I hadn't started shielding their minds. Ed's eyes alluded to me of an exploding sun. Lucan leapt into my arms to avoid dark sparks which sprinkled from the beast's feathers.

"You stupid, wonderful, little mouse," I praised Lucan, giving his ears a scratch. He grinned giddily, without a shred of guilt for coming back instead of guiding Ventus' friends to the proper location.

_And what about me? _Vanessa thought at me. I looked up at her with my smarmy grin.

"What about you?" I winked and gave her a thumbs up. I knew it. She liked me. The feeling isn't shared, but it was still nice of her to come back for lil', ol', handsome me.

Ed doesn't like being ignored. After a rather rude roar, a plethora of shadowy ropes burst from his body, aiming towards us. My brow furrowed automatically. This time, I wasn't letting it happen. I snapped my fingers and threw a thought to the winds.

_Bi-Bi, defense please._

With that, Bi-Bi came out of her hiding spot along with a pair of glowing emerald eyes. As if by magic, green vines sprouted from the earth to combat Ed's own. They wrapped around one another, tugging and stretching to gain dominance with neither side winning out. I smirked. Crystal's non-physical attack was useless, but these vines were something that the darkness had no choice but to slam into.

_Alright. My turn. _My grin dropped when I heard Vanessa think those words. I glared at the Moltres in the sky.

"No! Don't! If you use Flamethrower now, you'll burn up our defense!"

_Quite right. _Ed spoke just before launching himself into the air, shooting towards Vanessa like an arrow. Vanessa flinched, but without experienced command of her wings, she could do little else. He tackled her head on, making sure to put his head above hers and initiate a Shadow Blast.

"Callin! Light Screen! Quick!" I demanded, hopeful that that would at least cushion the blow. A barely visible, translucent screen appeared between the two heads, a final ray of hope for Vanilla. The Shadow Blast burst through it, shattering the defending move with minimal resistance. Vanilla was struck with the brunt of it, but it was far better than it could've been. The Moltres fell like a meteor. And for saving me, I had no choice but to return the favor. Snatching her up in my telekinetic net, I allowed the avian to hover before gently laying her down. Her eyes fluttered open and she scrambled to her talons before rubbing her head with her wing.

_Couldn't have stopped him? _She asked, rudely.

"He's increased his psychic barriers. Sorry." I noted. I put Lucan down and he glared at Ed in a fighting stance.

"What should I do, Axel?" Lucan asked as he limberly dodged an incoming dark tentacle.

"As long as Bi-Bi's got the defense, you and I can go for offense. So use Thunderbolt!" I instructed. The mouse nodded, cheeks already fully stocked with electricity. He released the energy, Ed within his sights. The bolt surged towards Ed-

-and was suddenly misdirected by a familiar, translucent screen.

"What the-?" I burst out, brow furrowing. Lucan was taken aback as well. I then introduced my face to my palm. They certainly left an impression on one another. "Tell me I didn't just teach you Light Screen."

Ed's response was a flap of the wings and a vortex of shadowy wind. I clenched my teeth, the adrenaline in the pit of my stomachs giving me the spark I needed to snatch up Lucan and Bi-Bi and cover them with my body. The wind began to cut at my clothes and I held my breath for the assault to come.

And then… a miracle happened.

The sharp winds were quite literally blown away by another force. From behind me, I felt an excessively strong gale build up that threatened to knock me clean off my feet. Holding the vulnerable pair of pint-sized Pokémon in one arm, I reached for the only remaining family member who wasn't hiding strategically or taking shelter next to me. I opened Kenya's pokéball and immediately felt a duo of immensely powerful arms curl around me. We took off, Lucan and Bi-Bi in tow. Kenya took us to the one remaining undamaged hut and landed us behind it, next to an unconscious Zangoose, to shield us from the gusts. It worked, but I heard a cracking. Moments later, the roof of the hut came clean off, tumbling in the whirlwind and off the adjacent cliff.

When the winds petered out, I looked up and smiled, giving Kenya the thumbs up. He grinned back. Recalling the creatures in my arms, my attention was given to them. They were both fine. A tad confused, but fine. Relieved, I released them and took a peek around the corner to find an… odd sight. Moltres was in a predatory stance across from Ed in a mirroring one. She had a fury in her eyes, different from the fury I had seen in the human Vanilla.

_YOU! DON'T YOU DARE UNDERESTIMATE ME! _Vanessa thought.

"Huh. Who knew?" I mused after a quick scan of her mind. I winked towards Kenya. "Vanessa just learned Hurricane. So she's not a one-trick pony."

_I CAN HEAR YOU IGAUL! YOU SHUT UP! _Vanessa's entire form began to vibrate. Then, a copper aura began to appear over her, like an aqueous suit of armor. I adjusted my glasses to make sure I was seeing it right. Heheh, she was better than I thought. Two new moves in a row? I was considering catching her now.

"Kenya! Back her up with Dragon Rush!" I ordered. Kenya reluctantly complied, becoming bathed in a sapphire light and charging towards Ed. Vanessa did the same. Ed, apparently without the kiddie gloves on anymore, flapped his wings Vanessa's way for a Shadow Storm while at the same time turning his head back towards Kenya for a Shadow Blast. I snickered.

"Not this time, Eddy!" I thrust a palm towards him and built up the air pressure for an Aeroblast. The look on his face, as well as Vanessa's, was priceless. I fired the burst of air. Its speed surpassed Kenya's to collide with the Shadow Blast head on, cancelling them both out and giving Kenya the opening to tackle Ed head on. As for Vanessa, she glided between the blades of air with ease and managed to sandwich Ed between herself and Kenya with her Sky Attack. I pumped a fist in triumph.

_I thought you didn't know any attacks! _Vanessa yelled once she and Kenya had gotten out of harm's way.

"I lied." I replied. "Wanted it to be a surprise."

_Sure. Whatever. _

Aw, isn't that sweet? She was getting used to me.

_Grrr… _Ed was seething. It was hilarious, yet ominous in hindsight.

"No more talk, Ed! Bi-Bi, Leaf Storm!" Bi-Bi sprung from behind me, starting a little jig that immediately spun the leaves from the surrounding trees into a flurry of organic missiles. Each one had their sights on Ed. He covered himself with a wing. Granted, on its own, the attack wasn't doing much damage, but it gave me what I needed. Cover. "Now, Lucan, get on Kenya!"

The Pikachu immediately complied, climbing up Kenya's leg and standing atop the dragon's head. I gave Kenya a pat. He nodded and took off, getting a good bird's eye view of Ed. Ed attempted retaliation, summoning more of his Shadow Storms.

"Yo, Bi-Bi! Help me out with Psychic! Stick those leaves to him!" Bi-Bi and I linked minds and power, taking command of the army of vegetation at our disposal and sticking nearly all of them between Ed's feathers. Before he could fathom what I was trying, I shouted to Vanessa: "Now! Flamethrower!"

_YOU'RE NOT THE BOSS OF ME! _Vanessa mentally screeched. But she did it anyway. Ed saw the flames coming and tried to get out of the way. Now chance I was letting that happen.

"Bi-Bi! Taste of his own medicine, please!" The grass type took my meaning and summoned a squadron of thick vines from beneath Ed which swirled and coiled around Ed tightly to hold him in place. The flames reached him, coating the vegetation and him in an incendiary prison. Despite the rain, I could feel the heat from my safe vantage point. "Fire Pokémon, legendary or not, are at half power in the rain. Keeping the burn up with flammable matter will maximize the effect. And now, Ed. It's checkmate."

My fingers snapped before they pointed to my soldiers of the sky. Ed snarled. I laughed. The heavy raindrops pounding on my head were pouring one word into my brain. Victory.

"Lucan, grab onto Kenya's antennae." He did so. "Kenya, charge a Thunderbolt through Lucan. Lucan, use that power, Zapdos', your own, and the weather to slam the hammer down! NOW!" I thrust a fist at Ed while breathing hard, the feeling of conquest overwhelming everything else. Kenya's antennae sparked, Lucan's body glowed, and at the sound of thunder-

-Lucan hesitated.

The sensation of confusion and frustration washing over me has never been matched. Now Lucan! NOW! What the hell was he doing just standing there, gaping at… VENTUS?!

The Lugia that stood in a curtain of fire no longer had dusky plumage. It had been replaced with the familiar silver and navy blue. The gears in my head worked quickly, my heart sank, and I gave him a quick scan. He still had the same feeling of dread about him. It was still Ed, but he was putting Ventus' image on like a costume. Every heartbeat reeling my senses further into panic, I opened my mouth to warn Lucan.

_Lucan, why're you… doing this…? _Ed was beating me to it, using Ventus' voice while he was at it. I had gone from panicked to enraged. This was hardly fair. _Whatever I did… I'm sorry…_

"Ven, I… I'm sorry- I," Lucan whispered sheepishly as the energy he was charging started to fade.

"Lucan, n-" I was cut off by a sudden Shadow Blast from Ed. Kenya attempted a Hyper Beam, but he didn't have enough time to charge. He was struck head on, falling like a star and landing with a horrifying crash. Lucan was relatively undamaged. However, after peering into Kenya's brain, it was clear he had gotten the worst of it. I growled at Ed. I hate cheating. Well, except when I'm doing it, but that's neither here nor there.

He was hardly finished, either. With one strong motion, he broke free from his bonds. His next move was to turn with startling speed towards Vanessa and pin her between his massive wings. She would have surely barfed flames over him had he not activated some sort of psychic assault I had yet to experience. Her eyes remained locked on his and she appeared to be frozen in place. I prepared an Aeroblast, however pointless it seemed. Before I was even halfway ready, Vanessa released a screech. Eyes widened and body shivering, time appeared to stand still for a moment. The Moltres spasmed in sheer agony, pure torture splayed across her face. The legendary bird literally went transparent and the human body of Vanessa fell out of the ghostly image, unconscious and bruised from the invisible assault. The image of Moltres faded slowly, leaving a levitating medallion in its place. The medallion was consumed by shadows… and entered Ed.

I don't know how to describe what I was feeling. On the one hand, I didn't care about Vanessa. On the other… I had no explanation for the empty feeling in my chest. Regardless, I had to focus on the reality. Ed had just absorbed the medallion. He had now obtained Moltres' life force. That was gulp-worthy if you ask me.

Ed's colours faded back to that of his Shadow Lugia form as he whirled around to face me. His smirk was distinct and the predatory gleam in his eyes was unmistakable. He knew something I didn't. He opened his mouth and released a torrent of dark flames. These flames, unlike the original ones, weren't hindered by the weather. I rolled out of the way, but Bi-Bi wasn't as quick. The Celebi was roasted by the shadowy blaze, fainting while falling to the dirt. Heaving a regretful sigh, I recalled my friend to the GS ball.

_Oh… this is very good. _Ed taunted. I refused to face him. _Moltres' strength has restored my own vitality. Hybird, if you only knew the strength that runs through my veins now. Nothing can stop me. The others will fall just as easily. You have nothing left. You three idiot humans have put up quite a fight, but I'm afraid-_

"Back up!" I said, deciding to give Ed a quirked eyebrow. He tilted his head, just as confused as me. "Did you say three?"

_Doesn't matter, hybrid._

"I think it does. Hahahaha." I chuckled knowingly and brought myself to my feet, adjusting my glasses confidently. "Hahahah- BWAHAHAHAHA!"

_Stop laughing at once, Hybrid!_

"No!" I shouted, grin proudly displayed. "Laughing is great. When the world is going down and all hope is lost, all you can do is laugh. Laugh until the bad guy is distracted. Laugh until you've thought of a plan. Or… laugh for fun. Which is appropriate in this case."

_What the hell are you-?_

"How did you take Ventus' form?" I asked as I pointed at him. "You can't if his personality is gone for good. If you ask me… I think he's still in there."

Ed didn't move.

"He's still fighting in some shape or form. He's distracting you. And that gave us enough time to land a few hits on you. And it gave you the opportunity to copy his form and voice. Want to know why I'm laughing? It's cause I know how this is gonna end." I tapped my forehead. "It's all up here."

_Then I better crush that head when I get the chance. In the meantime… _Ed moved his foot over Vanessa's knocked out self, smiling menacingly. _… I wonder what'll happen to your little plan if I stomp her brains out._

There was no thought in me of what to do next. There was only one answer. My button shirt flew off and my wings took flight. As Ed's foot began the process of stomping, I managed to be fast enough to snatch Vanessa and get her out of the way. However… I wasn't quick enough to get my foot out of the way.

"AHHHHHHH!" I screeched. Vanessa flew out of my arms and rolled for a few feet. The pain that shot through my foot as the audible crunch rang out through the air felt like… well, like the weight of a four hundred seventy-six pound monster had just come down on it. My screams blared into the atmosphere, probably shattering the eardrums of any nearby Zubat. And maybe a few faraway ones. I groaned in grasped for air, my shattered bones sending cries for help directly to my brain. Ed brought his foot up for another stomp.

"Hey!" I heard Kenya's voice ring out from behind. Everything went hazy as my pain-raddled mind phased out for a moment due to a thwack to the back of my head.

**End of Chapter Twenty-One**


	22. Hate

**Chapter 22: Hate**

I recall the sound of an explosion and the feeling of getting tossed onto something flying. Other than that, I think I was zonked out.

"I think he's leaving."

"It's good he didn't see us go down here."

"He was too busy dodging meteors. No way he saw us."

I was hearing voices as I slowly became aware of reality again. I couldn't open my eyes, nor could I speak. I was, however, able to hear the voices around me and feel the pair of arms around me. I was sitting up against something warm, something alive. I could hear the heartbeat and feel the gentle ins and outs of the creature's breath.

"Thanks for getting us out of there, Kenya."

"Get this straight. I only saved you because you saved him. We're not friends."

"Well, thanks anyway… dragon… thing." This voice was new. Female in nature. I was still having trouble processing at this point. "I can't believe that bastard got my medallion."

"It's your own fault."

"Excuse me, lizard?"

"Get whatever's in your ears out of them. It's _your _fault your medallion got taken."

"Oh, lizard, if my bodyguards were here-"

"Guys, guys, stop fighting! We gotta heal up Axel fast and then go and help the others. They don't know he's coming their way."

"Help them yourself."

"Wh-what? But-"

"Axel helped you lot and look what happened! One more stomp and your _friend _would've killed him. I'm done helping you."

"But… But you've gotta help us. We… have no other way of getting to Ven! You're the only one who can fly!"

"I DON'T CARE!" Kenya's familiar roar gave my memory a jump start. So, he had managed to rescue us somehow. That was a relief. "It's not my problem. Nor is it Axel's. I only care about Axel. The rest of you can rot for the amount of Zigzagoon droppings I give."

"Hey, Axel's my friend too!"

"Then why didn't you attack when he told you to?!"

"Because… Because Ven resurfaced for a second there! I couldn't hurt him!"

"It's because you didn't attack that that thing got the better of us. You're lucky I saved you at all!"

"Ven's my friend! I couldn't okay? He's one of the best guy's I know! AND NOW HE NEEDS HELP! HE NEEDS MY HELP AND YOURS!"

"As if. I'm not going anywhere. Once Mew-Mew's recovered, we're going home. I don't want to see any more Lugia scum today."

"What are you-?"

"They're all the same. The Lugia in our world abandoned Axel and the one in this one nearly killed him!"

"Um… you two? Hey!" The female voice spoke for the first time. For some odd reason, the jaded tone was jogging my memory slightly.

"That wasn't him- that was the shadow-thing!"

"That doesn't change things."

"Yo! Morons!" There was that irritating voice again.

"If you really care about Axel, you'll help us get rid of the shadow that did this to him!"

"No. I won't."

"He's waking up, featherbrains!"

My eyelids were fluttering. All I could make out for the moment were hazy blurs. My head was buzzing and my body ached something awful. The back of my skull felt like a pylon had been driven through it. I rubbed my forehead as the headache started to fade and the blurs became distinct. Vanessa and Lucan were crowded around me with opposite expressions. I'll let you guess what they were. I recognized the arms around me as Kenya's and I looked up to see his melancholy visage. Callin was perched atop his head, apparently having come out of hiding. To my right, Mew-Mew was resting atop the shirt I had discarded earlier. I chuckled as I realized that my wings were on full display for the others to see. I really hated when that happened. I looked around to find us in a cave which had two openings. A small one was in the wall which had stairs leading upwards. The second was directly in front of me, the open exit to the sky resembling the inside of a Sharpedo's mouth with rocks on the top and bottom resembling razor sharp teeth. The floor and ceiling were blanketed with musty-smelling moss.

"So… what did I miss?"

"I used Draco Meteor to distract him," Kenya explained. "I threw you onto my back and grabbed these two and Mew-Mew. I found this opening in the cliff face and hid in hear. I guess you were still shielding our minds unconsciously, because he didn't notice us. He just took off toward the ocean."

"I see."

"Yeah… and Lucan said that he got my medallion somehow." Vanessa grumbled. "Guess that explains why I don't have it."

"Yeah, he absorbed it. Now he's got Moltres' power." I tried to stand up, but my foot screamed a very distinct 'NO' and I fell back against Kenya. "Crap… fortunately, it seems he stomped on a Pokémon section. It'll heal. Now… let's focus on how to get us all to where the others are."

"No." Kenya spoke up, tightening his grip on me. "We're going home!"

"Now, now, Kenya." I winked at him. "I have a plan. Don't you trust me?"

"No."

"Oh, you've learned so much. But Kenya, I really do have a plan." He grumbled and rolled his eyes. I gasped in an act of insult. "Rude dragon. Tell you what, I'll even stay out of it completely."

"Now I know you're making this up."

"Why would you think that?"

"Because there's no way you'd come up with an idea without finding some way to steal all the glory of what it might entail."

"I came up with it. Isn't that enough?"

"Not for you."

"Listen. When Ed took Vanessa's medallion, he let slip that Ventus is still in his head somewhere. Which means we have a secret weapon that'll win us this war."

"And that would be?"

I reached into my pocket and removed the lightning medallion.

* * *

Amy and Jet were still flying forward as per Lucan's directions. They glanced at each other every few seconds, clearly distraught. The rain continuously poured on their heads, their spirits running down with the water off their feathered bodies. The wind howled and the grey skies flashed for just a moment. The pair of birds weren't able to speak to one another as no psychic was present to interpret their thoughts. However, they had the same idea on their minds.

The weather was getting worse the further they went. It didn't bode well. They'd both been exposed to the abilities of Pokémon long enough to know it couldn't be a coincidence. Since it was Ventus' father they were approaching, it made it all the more ominous for them.

Eventually, through the raindrops, the duo saw a small black dot on the horizon. As they proceeded further, the black dot becoming an island, palm trees swaying in the tempests. The two, upon reaching the airspace above it, saw an opening in the foliage, circular in shape. They descended, lighting down on the ground inside the opening.

_Reverse! _They both thought. Light consumed the two legendaries and spat out a pair of pale humans. They regarded their surroundings with anxious glances. The soft earth beneath them had been torn and stampeded upon as if a parade had passed through. Nearby trees had been sliced in two, the fallen sections overgrown with moss. Lightning flashed, pulling back the curtain of shadows for but a moment. Amy flinched in time with Jet as the thunder pounded in their ears.

"I recognize this place," Amy explained. Jet turned to her. "Lucan showed us it in a vision. Or… maybe that was Ven. I dunno which. It was weird. But… this is where he was born."

"Ven?" Jet asked. He had to raise his normally quiet tone to be heard above the sky's rage.

"Yeah."

"But… then where's his dad? Shouldn't he be here?"

"I don't think he'd hang around this place. Might bring back bad memories. This is where Ven was kidnapped."

"Oh…" Jet's face went beet red. "So… are we in the right place? I mean… are we gonna be able to meet him here?"

"No idea. This is the only land around for miles. We can at least rest here. His dad could be underwater for all we know. If Ven were…" Amy grimaced. "…still himself, he'd be able to have a telepathic talk with his dad. But… we can't do that."

"And we can't breathe underwater either."

"Well crap!" Amy kicked a rather large rock over with a frustrated kick. "We finally get here- to his world- and we can't even talk to the guy we're looking for!"

"Um… Amy?"

"I mean, his dad should've been at least a little more considerate? Shouldn't he have given us a meeting spot or something?"

"Amy!"

"You'd think he'd want to greet his son as soon as he got here but no! Now Ven's in trouble and we can't-"

"For Pete's sake, listen to me for once!" Jet screamed with a startling anger. Amy jumped, giving him her complete attention. He blushed further, making a pained face. He distracted himself from his embarrassment by shielding his face from the rain and wind. "Doesn't it seem like this storm is getting worse?"

Amy parted the hair from her eyes and squinted upwards. Jet was right. The wind was snarling with a steadily increasing volume. The rain pelted at the two from an angle, forcing Amy's hand to shield her eyes. However, she was still able to catch a glimpse of lightning flashing. She winced.

In that brief second of illumination, a familiar silhouette appeared in the cloud canopy. The size and shape resembled a dragon. The tail was endowed with a pair of spikes. Ten plates protruded from the back. Two blue lights shone at the head.

And a familiar wail broke out through the thunder.

The arc of Amy's grin would make a rainbow jealous.

"Hey! Down here!" She shouted, her reverberating voice forcing Jet to close his hands around his ears. To put that in perspective, even the thunder hadn't been that intense. She waved to the sky like it was an old friend. Jet gulped, nerves sparking in explosive anxiety. Their eyes fixated on the spot where the figure had been. Raindrops spilled into them, but they wouldn't look away. "Yo! Ven's dad! We need your help! HEY! ARE YOU LISTENING? I SAID-"

Thunder would seem like the battle cry of a rodent when the day was through to this duo. A screech of unadulterated anger and agony surged into their ears. Jet fell to his knees as Amy keeled over completely, both with teeth clenched and ears smothered in their trembling hands. Their shut eyelids twitched in distress as the sound pounded through their skulls and stabbed at their hearts, the poor tiny organs vibrating faster than the sound waves themselves.

"_WHERE?" _The same voice that released the scream appeared directly above their heads with the same amount of rage, but far quieter so the pair of humans wouldn't go deaf. Amy, back firmly planted in the dirt below opened her eyes, flinching when they'd opened fully. Her brown orbs were met with vertical, sapphire, fury-imbued irises. A Lugia that had at least seven feet on Ventus was hovering above Amy, each wingbeat sending a small hurricane towards her and Jet, their hair flapping in the breezes. The telepathic wavelengths coming off this guy were ablaze with anger, the stomachs of the two beneath him were weighed down with fear. _"WHERE IS MY SON? WHAT HAVE YOU FILTHY HUMANS DONE WITH HIM?"_

"Wh-What?" Jet spluttered, looking up at the Lugia as he resisted the urge to curl into a shivering ball.

"Dude, we're the good guys!" Amy shouted. She was putting up a good fight against the mental intimidation. I wonder what was fueling it. Not much can stand up to an enraged empathic legendary Pokémon. "You talked to us when we got our medallions! Remember? What the hell are you doing?"

"_I TRUSTED YOU TO HELP HIM HOME SAFELY!" _The Lugia touched down before them, never blinking once as the winds he conjured began to fade bit by bit. His anger remained, though. _"NOW WHERE IS VENTUS?"_

"_Father!" _

As if by magic, the raindrops above ceased as the parent Lugia's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates with realization. The blue orbs that had been brimming with rage were now watering with hope and a love that knew no bounds. They looked up at the sky where that child-like tone had come from.

"_Ven… tus…" _Upon seeing the younger Lugia gliding downwards, tears instantly poured from the old bird's eyes. His posture visibly slackened while the very air around the group shifted. Amy had to squint when the clouds broke apart as if a pair of giant scissors were slicing them to shreds. Sunlight spread across the island, banishing the rainy weather immediately. The fear and anger Ventus' father had been emitting vanished, leaving nothing but hope and happiness in its wake.

"_Father, I am home." _Ventus said as he lighted down next to his dad and wrapped his wings around the tearful father. The overjoyed parent returned the gesture, squeezing the smaller Lugia into his chest.

"_Yes… you are, my son. Oh, my Ventus, you've come back to me. You're safe." _The parent beamed, sobbing gratefully at the return of his beloved child. _"Are you… unharmed? Are you…"_

"_I am alright, father. Please do not worry about me."_

There were many things running through Amy's head. She was confused at how Ventus was suddenly free. Maybe Axel had performed a miracle and had purged the demon from his pure heart. Another thought was his speed at getting here. Had Axel done the purging that quickly? Furthermore, why had he not paid her or Jet any heed yet or asked his dad why he was threatening the two. But there was one shining fact that made all the others irrelevant. A question so obvious and perplexing that it was burning at the core of her brain.

Why the hell wasn't he using contractions?

That is how Ventus talked, after all. He didn't say, "I am," or, "Do not". He said "I'm" and "don't". And for Amy, being the special girl she is, this meant only one thing.

"Frozen!" She grabbed her medallion. "SOUL!"

The light came to transform her and Articuno stood in her place seconds later. All heads whirled to her. The rage returned to the parent Lugia's eyes, all aimed at her. The bird of ice didn't even flinch.

"_What are you doing, girl?" _He asked as he turned to her, shielding his son with his body. _"You will not hurt my son!"_

_He's not your son. _

"_How dare y-"_

_Scan his mind if you want! It's not him! That shadow guy has control of his mind! Ventus doesn't talk like that! It's the shadow trying to sound like him! You're his dad, you had to have noticed that too!_

"_How dare you!" _The Lugia seethed. _"He is my son. And you will not-"_

"_Wait, father!" _

"_No Ventus. This time, I WILL protect you."_

"_Oh, father, I'm sorry. However-" _Ventus' smile widened into a malicious grin as gusts of shadowy air built up at his muzzle. The signs of a Shadow Blast made Amy cringe and she attempted a warning. Before her thoughts even made it through processing, however, Ed had fired. The blow struck the father dead in the back. _"-she's right. But thank you for protecting me, father."_

"_GYAAH!" _Ventus' father (Gee, that's a mouthful to keep saying. Let's just call him Zeph.) yelled as he fell over, his back feathers and plates scorched with shadow residue. Ed's feathers faded to black as he stepped on his would-be father's head. Multiple times in fact.

"_Thank you so much, daddy. I-" _He stomped again. _"-love-" _And again. _"-YOU!" _One more for the road. _"Hehehehahahaha! This is too much fun."_

_You! Get off him! _Amy screeched, blue lightning sparking at her beak. The preparations for her Ice Beam were almost complete. Meanwhile, Jet's medallion was halfway out of his pocket. Unfortunately for the both of them, this was telegraphing their attacks. Thus, Ed was able to call upon a group of dark ropes beneath them to coil around Amy's wings to pin them to her sides and topple her over. Another slinked upwards to her beak, clamping it shut. Yet more ropes hurried to bind Jet's hands behind his back. He dropped his medallion in the process and he was forced to kneel under the pressure of the sentient darkness.

_I'll be with you in one sec, Amy dear. _Ed thought publicly as he gave Zeph some more strong kicks to the face, making the behemoth roll over with the force of them. _You sir… I'm going to take pleasure in taking your misery. I've been milking it for so long, so let's get a few more drops out before I kill you. SURGE OF SOUL! _

Once again, Ed was shrouded in complete darkness before his duplicate of darkness surged off of him and coiled around Zeph. It encased him in a shadowy cocoon, warranting silent screams from the father's maw.

_Now… no one can stop me. Your mate's dead, your son is mine, and you… are going to die. He's mine. This body is always going to mine. For what it's worth, thanks. I've lived for many years thanks to your agony. And now… I'll live forever. So thank you._

The cocoon faded, the battered Lugia lying completely still. The remains of tears stained his muzzle. If he was breathing, it wasn't visible.

_And now, my dear father, this is goodbye. _Ed's eyes glowed and Zeph's body began to levitate, suspended by psychic ability. Zeph was catapulted in a remarkable feat of telekinetic strength through the air. There was the sound of a titanic splash when he disappeared over the treeline and a pillar of water had shot upward. Ed spun around to face Amy and Jet once again and chuckled. _Well, that was easy. And now… for you two. What to do, what to do._

Amy glared at him with what force she could muster, remaining silent. Jet did the same. Despite the fear Ed was projecting with his malevolent mind, the pair seemed unaffected. There was only anger on their faces.

_Aww, nothing to say? Just hatred? Good. Hatred's what fuels me y'know. You're just giving me the strength I need to keep my hold on your friend. So thank you. Feed me that wondrous anger and fear. It's- _He licked his beak. _–delectable._

Amy glared. She glared and glared and glared. Ed only smiled. He approached and patted her head with his wingtip, laughing.

_Poor, sweet, innocent, weak little Amy. He felt for you, y'know. So very deeply. You want to know the last thought that went through his head? Well… second last, anyway. He wondered how you were doing. And then I snuffed him out like a candle flame. HAHAHAHA!_

Amy grumbled furiously. Every word was poison she was all too eager to spit out. The fire in her heart burned without end, her temper overwhelming her as it always does.

_And now, it's time I spread that fear and fury across the skies and seas. _Ed threw his wings up. Suddenly, the sky turned purple. That usual dank, ugly purple. _Soon, I will envelop this world in a blanket of terror and torture. No one shall escape me. Least of all, you two. I think I'll keep you around as my angry power plants. First, however, there's the matter of those medallions. _

Ed waddled over to where Jet's medallion lay. He touched his wing to the golden trinket. It was consumed by darkness and the Shadow Lugia absorbed it as well. Ed seemed to shiver as the strength of a new legendary bird was taken into his body.

_Ahhh, that's good. Oh… it appears this version of Ho-Oh knows Future Sight. And you never used it, Jet you silly moron. But of course you didn't. You always were so… thick. _

"You're the one that possessed my mom." Jet said, snarling better than Kenya ever could. "You'll pay!"

_HAHAHA! That's a good one Jet. Do you happen to know… how I possessed her?_

"What do you mean?"

_She wasn't my first choice. In fact, Jet… _He patted his head with just as much condescension as he had with Amy. He got a similar reaction. _…you were._

"What?"

_You're capable of so much hate. I wished to unlock it and have you prance around as my very own Suicune. However, your hate is nothing compared to your mother's fear._

"What? My mom's not afraid of… anything! You're lying!"

_Now, why would I lie? Besides, she was afraid… terrified even… of losing you. She'd been having nightmares about you drowning in the ocean. Plagued her every night to the point where she wouldn't let you out of the house. Remember?_

Jet remained silent, his gaze turning to the dirt.

_Well, I guess it doesn't matter. In the end, I got my Suicune slave. For all the good she did, the useless woman. _

Jet's face crumpled into a nasty sneer, focus planted to the dirt. Ed laughed.

_Mmmm, that's good hatred. That's why I like you, Jet. Such a good boy. Oh, what is it, Amy? I felt a spike in your temper. Good. That's been a lovely source of nutrition for me as well, you see. I owe you two so much. I need all that negativity to keep on breathing, you see. Think I WILL keep you around. Just to see how long we can keep this up. Who knows? You might give me enough for years. We'll just have to see… won't we, dearies?_

Amy and Jet had their interest in the dirt. They didn't even want to look at the despicable creature. They were overflowing with anger. And Ed just licked it up like a dog. Amy's eyes were so blinded with fury that, for a moment, she imagined the dirt beneath her move on its own. She even thought there were letters slowly engraving a message for her. Except she wasn't imagining. Her anger left her as an invisible finger traced characters into the earth. One by one, they appeared as Ed went on about something not as important.

L-E-O

Amy's eyes widened as she saw her brother's name written out.

W-A-S

S-U-C-H

A

B-R-A-T

W-A-S-N-T

H-E

If Amy could smile with a beak, she would have once the question mark appeared at the end of that short sentence. She did manage an awkward giggle. She then opened her eyes as she thought about who could've sent the message. Out of curiosity, she peeked at Jet, finding similar words being transcribed in front of him. An odd, tiny smile spread across his face upon reading them. Amy stared at the words and her eyes trailed to the monologuing Ed at last. He was the only psychic here. He hadn't yet noticed the words. And then Amy put two and two together. She shut her eyes and focused her thoughts away from Ed and her temper. And instead thought about… irrelevant things.

_I remember… when I first met him. He was shy and such a cool guy, trying to protect me from his life like that. I wouldn't let him go without me. I'm too stubborn. Zack, Ventus, names don't matter. I wanted to help him, and I'm glad I did. I got to see a whole bunch of places on the back of a dragon-bird. How many teenage baseball stars get to say that? _

_What are you doing Amy? _Ed suddenly peered into her head after realizing she wasn't paying attention to him. Amy smiled and ignored him, continuing to think about a certain boy.

_I like being Articuno. Makes me feel powerful. More than usual, I mean. Flying is fun too. I love every second of it. _

_Amy. Ventus screamed when I absorbed him. It was funny. _

Amy's inner smile only broadened.

_And to be honest, he's a gentleman. I hope we can go out for a pizza, even now. Even so, I've still got hopes. And dreams. And I know you can hear this, shadow freak. _Amy opened her eyes and stared right into the demonic orbs of Ed's. _And y'know what? I'm glad you can. Because I'm gonna outline everything I hope for you. I want to be the first female major leaguer. I want to play for the Toronto Blue Jays someday. They're awesome. I want to be able to see Zack and his dad whenever I want. _

_Stop it. _Ed ordered like a petulant child. His breaths became heavier, but not out of anger.

It was getting hard for him to breathe.

"I like Ven's dad." That wasn't Amy. Ed whirled his head to look at the boy on the ground, whose smile stretched from ear to ear. "He saved my island. I'm glad he came. And I'm not mad at him anymore. It's not his fault. It's no one's fault really. It's not even yours, Shadow guy."

… _WHAT?! _Ed no less than screeched.

"You said it yourself. You need negativity to keep breathing. Guess I can't blame you for self-preservation."

_Your mother… was useless and I made her disappear from your life for all those years! _

"Well, she's back now and I think she's beautiful. And she's the woman who raised me. I think that's pretty useful."

_How are you… doing this..? This… simply is NOT POSSIBLE! _Ed's tail swerved in front of him and pulled back in a motion that would result in the limb knocking Amy across the face. And he would have… had a voice not spoken up from behind him.

"I think it's very possible, Ed."

Ed froze. His head slowly looked over his shoulder at the familiar noise from the underbrush. No one appeared to be there at first glance, but then Ed looked closer. The growl in his throat turned to stunned silence when he saw a foot. It was a human foot, wrapped in the confines of an open-toed, white as snow, sandal.

"They've let go of their anger. They received my message. They're sharp. After all, why do you think the medallions chose them? Not because they're as dumb as a sack of bricks like you seem to think. But I'm sure I can find it in my heart to forgive you. Then again, I suppose it's our heart now? I don't mind sharing."

_You… but you can't be here! That's-_

"-not possible? See for yourself, Ed. That's the name Axel gave you, right? I like it. It fits." I said as I stepped out from the underbrush, smiling at the Shadow Lugia. Ed simply stared in confusion and terror. "What's the matter, Ed?"

_Ventus?_

**End of Chapter Twenty-Two**


	23. Darkness Diminished

**Chapter 23: Darkness Diminished**

"That's me!" I replied, waving at him in a friendly manner. He immediately swung with his wing in an attempt to send me blasting off to the moon. He was relatively startled when his wing went right through me, but then again, it's understandable. It is a fairly odd thing to happen. "Oh, I forgot to mention that this is just a projection of my consciousness. Sorry for the confusion."

_That's-_

"Come on now, stop repeating that. You might give yourself a headache."

_I… I consumed you… you should be lost in darkness._

"I'm still alive and it feels great. Oh, and you might want to shut off your connection to Amy and Jet, it might be a little embarrassing for them to see you talking to nothing. After all, you're the only one that can see me."

_What? But-_

"Now the puppet master needs an explanation? Okay. When you invaded my mind and told me you wanted a Lugian body, I wasn't quite equipped to fight. But what you said gave me an idea." I leaned my image into a tree in a relaxing stance. "You said you wanted to be a Lugia. But you also said you need fear, anger, sadness, et cetera, to live. So… put those together and you get the solution to the possession equation." I snapped my fingers, confidence brimming through me as I continued my explanation. "First, I gave you what you wanted. Access to everything Lugian. My body, my psychic abilities, everything on my Lugian side. However, at the same time, I escaped into the positive thoughts of my mind. The part of the brain you had difficulty accessing. You only concern yourself with the negatives. And the Lugian. Unfortunately for you, you only got half of me. Yes, I was born a Lugia. But… I was raised human. You completely disregarded my human half. All the time spent with my mother, most of the time that I spent with my friends, the form I was in when I realized where my home was- who my father was- all those thoughts are mine. And you-" I winked at him. "-aren't permitted access to those ones."

_But… no… you're… you're not serious. _Ed was seething between deep breaths. I grinned kindly at him and I think he nearly vomited. _That… alone can't allow you to… project yourself like this. _

"Yeah, you're right. That's why I spent your entire battle with Axel slowly integrating myself with your subconscious mind."

…_You WHAT?!_

"I thought you'd be proud." I shrugged. "You're a big fan of invading minds. I was that little voice in the back of your head giving you the idea for those dark ropes. When you accepted that idea, you let me in with open wings. Oh, did I mention I have access to all of _your _memories too? Boy, you have a loooot of baggage in here."

_Stop it._

"Product of a failed experiment? Used to have a wife? My, my, I feel for you, man."

_I SAID STOP IT!_

"Why? Am I… killing you with kindness?"

_Grrrrrr, _Ed was ready to pounce… or would have been were he not kneeling to catch his breath.

"Oh… I am. Sorry. But… my dream is to be home… with my dad. That's what I'm hoping right now. Do you like hope? I like hope. Hope's good."

_AHHH! _Every word was like a bullet to Ed's chest. I gave a generous expression and I walked forward, feeling the urge to help this poor soul.

"Are you okay? Wouldn't want to hurt you after all."

Okay. That line had some snark to it. Couldn't resist.

"Yeah. I figured… if negative emotions are sustenance to you, then positive emotions would act in the opposite way. And by the looks of things I was right. That's why, when I got access to your telekinetic brain circuitry, I sent a message to Amy and Jet in the dirt, see?" I pointed at said messages. Ed struggled, but he managed to turn his head to look at them. "They figured out they were from me and realized the same thing I did. The negatives make you strong. The positives, contrarily, make you weak."

I stood and turned away from Ed. I laughed, our heart swelled with hope.

_Hehehehe… HAHAHAHAHA! _I looked at Ed as he stood up and grinned in renewed vigor. His energy had seemingly been replenished. I quirked an eyebrow, returning the smile. _Did you really think it would be so easy?_

"Well-"

_No, worm! I talk, you listen! I've had the misery of a parent who's lost his child to feed on for the past thirteen years! There's more than enough here in reserve to last decades- nay! Centuries! You lost, Ventus! Hope and love? That's your weapon? Please. You and these pathetic humans alone can't undo in minutes what I've spent years perfecting!_

"Oh, I know… moron!" I got my nerve back, the need for intense kindness vanishing. I still thought good thoughts, mostly about mom's cakes, but I was restoring my usual attitude to my demeanor. Hope and love hadn't been the whole point. Just the catalyst. "And those pathetic humans? They've helped me defeat your little tests. We beat everything you threw at us! Dark sharks? Amy froze 'em solid! Suicune? Water was no match for Jet's Sacred Fire! Entei? Axel, Vanessa, Lucan, and Kenya caught him. Good ol' Stepdad? Thanks to Lucan, I got him with no resistance! Latios and Latias? My friends took 'em out even without a Lugia's help! These 'pathetic humans' have unlocked the true strength of the legendary birds! Something you could never do!"

_Oh really? _Ed pointed his head to the sky and charged a ball of flame as black as midnight. He shot it sky high, the dark fire clashing brilliantly with the bright blue sky. _I have Ho-Oh's Sacred Fire._

"Sorry Ed. But your power's already fading."

_How so?_

"Because the sky is blue again."

Ed's face was absolutely priceless as his eyes dawned with realization. His perfectly purple sky was now as blue as the purest bluebell flower.

"And… is it just my faulty memory or is that Sacred Shadow Fire weaker than the genuine article? Those medallions were created from the desire to save a child in danger. A pure desire. You can't use them to their full potential! It's simply not possible. They're killing you from within, Ed. And you didn't even notice. You only saw their power for the sake of power. You didn't pay attention to what _kind _of power it was. And that, my friend, is why you lose."

_Not possible… Not… POSSIBLE!_

"You keep telling yourself that. It's quite funny." Ed swiped at me again in frustration. It had the effect you can imagine. "I'm in your head Ed. And you can't get rid of me this time. I'm part of you now."

_You… PARASITE!_

"Hello Kettle. I'm pot. You're black."

_THIS IS NOT A JOKE, YOU- YOU INSECT!_

"HAHA! Y'know, it is kind of funny."

_Shut… IT!_

"No, you'll like this one, promise. I find it rather hilarious that I've been afraid of you, when all along… you've been nothing but a parasite, hanging onto life desperately and pathetically. And you can be killed… with sunshine… lollipops… and rainbows. I've let most of my anger go to replace it with thoughts of mom, my friends, and a future with my dad."

_I TOLD YOU-_

"Yeah, yeah, you've built up a lot of misery, yaddah, yaddah. But I've got one thing that no shield of stockpiled sadness and anger can stand up against. A possibility you've never considered because you don't understand it. How could you understand it? It's beyond you." I shuffled towards Ed confidently. He just shot daggers at me, still not getting it through his thick skull that I was pretty much a ghost. Then again… I was a ghost… that was about to do something awesome. "There's one thing that's gonna break through. One thing… and trust me, it's so sappy that it'll probably kill you alone. But its power will make a parasite shadow blaze for millennium to come."

_And that is?_

I snickered and placed my intangible hands on his chest. My teeth showed themselves and I looked up at Ed with the most expansive smirk of my lifetime.

"Take a guess."

I reached into Ed (yes, you read that right) and searched within him for the two burning flames within him. Ed screeched out in agony, lashing at me mentally. It was no use. I directed all the psychic pain to him. I was in control now.

_Vanessa, _I thought as I found and grabbed hold of Moltres' flame. _Jet. _I thought as I latched onto Ho-Oh's fire. I pulled on them, severing the bonds Ed had used to tie them to his power. I removed the white hot pieces of jewellery from him, holding the sources of great power in my imagined hands. This was all rather surreal, but I mean it, it was normal at the time. I wondered how that must've looked to Amy and Jet to see the medallions both taken from Ed and floating in midair since they weren't able to see me. Using the control over the telekinetic pathways I had, I tossed the rainbow medallion in an arc over to Jet. It bounced off his head before emitting a strong light which burnt through the shadow bonds. Jet stood and snatched his medallion, not hesitating to gear up.

"GOLDEN SOUL!" Jet shouted at the top of his lungs, full of enthusiasm. The light that came to transform him seemed more intense than ever. I had to squint my unreal eyes. When I opened them again, there was Ho-Oh. But something was different about him. Maybe it was the shimmering gold feathers or the winged crest which had suddenly appeared on his avian chest. Either way, he was looking more prepared for battle than ever. His eyes glowed pink for a moment and I had to grin. There was the Future Sight Ed had criticized him for not using earlier. He then prepared a glorious Sacred Fire (about the size of a beach ball) and fired it with much more gusto than Ed ever could dream of. Ed was still stunned by the sudden appearance of Jet's alter ego and he was sent flying into the air when the flames cascaded over him. I smiled. Way to go Jet.

While the big guy was distracted, I managed to gain control of the dark ropes and untied the knots around Amy. As she stood up, she was bathed in another ball of light (something I hadn't expected) and when it faded, she too stood with dazzling feathers and a new winged symbol emblazoned in her chest feathers. My friends took flight, circling around Ed threateningly.

"You were never a threat, Ed!" I shouted to him as he dodged a stream of ice and fire from the pair. "And my friends will prove it to you!"

_These two can't defeat me. _Suddenly, Jet gave a strong upstroke, allowing him to hover leagues above Ed. Amy followed suit and Ed smirked. _See how they run?_

"They're running all right!" I snickered. Jet had used Future Sight. Apparently, Ed didn't know that that also allowed him to see attacks to come. Ed didn't have the same luxury. As such, he was taken aback when a pair of Thunderbolt attacks surged through his body, Amy and Jet safely out of the way.

_GYAAAH!_

I felt something in our head loosen. I whistled, excited for the new opportunities.

Ed whirled around midflight to see Axel and Vanessa riding atop a very disgruntled Dragonite. I laughed. Ed's face couldn't become any more twisted. Lucan sat on top of Kenya's head, smiling a victorious smile. _No! I thought I killed them!_

"Huh?" I said, pretending to clean my ears out. "Sorry. That's my bad. I made you think you killed them." I think Ed nearly exploded when he heard that. I was deeper in his mind than he thought and he absolutely hated it. "They were actually recovering. I blocked out their vital signs from your telepathic center. Didn't want you to feel disappointed!"

Feeling satisfied, the medallion in my Ventus avatar's hand soared upwards like a firecracker, snapping into Vanessa's hands before Ed could try to regain control. She took it with a smile, albeit a surprised and bewildered one.

"Burning Soul!" She shouted. The insanely powerful light returned to give Moltres another slice of the pie. And again, there were dazzlingly bright feathers and a winged crest on her chest. She looped around the Dragonite, hovering just below Axel and his ride.

Ed looked around at his competition, snarling like a cornered beast. Which, let's be honest, he pretty much was. I could feel his every emotion at this point. And for the first time, I felt fear. Ed was afraid.

"Get a good look, Ed," I said. "These are my friends. The legendary birds. Even if they are humans, Pikachus, hybrids or dragons. They encapsulate the spirits of the legendary birds. They're not what you think at all. Jet, the hopeful spirit of Ho-Oh with a heart of gold. Vanessa, the thief with a fiery passion. Lucan, my resourceful pal with the electric personality. Axel, a mystery wrapped in an enigma wrapped in a stylish getup. Kenya. Well, he's just an angry grump, but Amy… oh Amy… The others you might have stood a chance against, but not Amy." My avatar gazed up at the beautiful and radiant Articuno. My heart pounded and my breathing quickened, my friend giving me happiness unlimited. "She's the warrior… and cooler than ice. You can't crack her. Trust me."

_ENOUGH! OF ALL OF THIS! _Ed screeched to everyone around him. We all simply stared at him, this Shadow Lugia as he bellowed like a lunatic. _DO ANY OF YOU THINK YOU STAND A CHANCE AGAINST A LUGIA?! NONE OF YOU WOULD BE HERE IF IT WEREN'T FOR A LUGIA! I AM A GOD! NOW… GROVEL IN FEAR, WHELPS! AND WORSHIP ME!_

"Someone's cranky!" Axel said just as Kenya charged ahead, body shining cobalt as he activated Dragon Rush. Ed sent a Shadow Storm to defend. However, Vanessa flapped her wings rapidly, producing a Hurricane to both give Kenya a tailwind and dispel the gloomy winds simultaneously. Kenya tackled Ed, seizing the Shadow Lugia's middle with both arms and tossing him to the tides below with gargantuan strength.

Ed was attempting to regain himself when Jet made his move. He went into a nosedive, beak aimed at Ed. His entire body seemed to light on fire, this being the preliminary activation of his Brave Bird technique. He careened into Ed and pulled out his nosedive in an act of remarkable aerobatic skill. Gravity was taking the lead and Ed had no chance of regaining aerial independence.

In a last ditch effort, he steadied himself with his half of the psychic powers. Axel wouldn't have it. Kenya soared directly above Ed and Axel seemed all too eager to swan dive off of him. Aeroblast in hand, the hybrid descended on the behemoth… and missed.

I'm serious, with a surging Aeroblast, brimming with power, Axel missed completely and entered the drink with hardly a splash.

_Idiot. _I thought along with Vanessa and Ed.

_Who's the idiot? _We all heard Kenya and Lucan think smugly.

I felt a shadow appear behind me. I whirled around to widen my eyes at the sheer impossibility of the concept. Ed followed suit as the rest of the gang hovered out of the way. In an instant, a massive tidal wave had been summoned from the ocean depths, as tall as a skyscraper. Granted, this had happened before, but the sheer immenseness of the thing was still overwhelming to think about. I felt a twinge of hope and fear writhe in my stomach. Of course, my avatar was in no danger, but Ed was flapping upwards as fast as he could to escape. Vanessa and Jet were ready. From both sides of the wave, the fire birds shot streams of fire to block Ed's exit. He was plowed head on by the titanic wave. On closer inspection, there was someone on top of the wave. And guess who it was (on one, uninjured, foot no less).

"Hey guys!" Axel waved to us all as if he'd just won the lottery. "I just learned Surf!"

_And he's gonna be bragging about it for days. _Vanessa thought.

_YOU THINK THIS IS FUNNY?! _Ed squealed as his head shot above water. His eyes burned brightly and the water around him shot up in pillars, not dissimilar to Suicune's powers. They swirled around the large gentleman, possibly in an effort to defend him from incoming attacks. Which… might've worked were Amy not poised above for her own assault. Amy spun round before flapping her wings with the strength of a gale force wind. Icy speckles clung to her summoned gusts as the Blizzard attack began. When the sub-zero winds came in contact with the pillars of water and the very water Ed was dipped in, it froze solid. Ed squirmed, but was fixed firmly in place by the tundra.

_HOW DID YOU-? YOU NEVER KNEW BLIZZARD!_

_I do now. _Amy remarked triumphantly.

"Face it, Eddy," Axel said as he hovered next to Vanessa. "We win."

_I do not accept this. I DO NOT! SURGE OF SOUL! _Ed's body rippled in that stygian darkness just before the duplicate broke free to soar towards my friends.

I was smiling. He couldn't come back. I was sure. Not with these five on the job.

"Just what we were waiting for!" Axel taunted, crooking his fingers at Ed in a typical 'Bring it' notion. "Lucan! Now!"

With that order, Lucan dived off of Kenya, identical to Axel's method. A previously prepared Electro Ball hung from his tail, the electric mouse flipping in midair to send it toward Ed before him. Ed smirked, believing they were trying to block a Surge of Soul with a mere Electro Ball. However, Lucan's paws instead reached for the orb, latching onto it with his tiny paws. Ed was confused, alongside myself. Lucan kept on trucking. Lightning flowed through his fur, Volt Tackle sparking into existence, surrounding the mouse as well as the Electro Ball.

"Amy! Jet! Vanessa! Kenya! Throw everything you've got! And give it to Lucan!" Axel shouted. He didn't have to shout twice. Amy flapped up another blizzard to start swirling around the descending Lucan in rings of freezing air. Vanessa blasted her Flamethrower to spiral with the mouse. Jet sent Sacred Fire down to give Lucan some extra defense up front. An orb of Orange Light constituted between Kenya's draconic claws before he sent the sphere skyward. The sphere split apart into smaller Draco Meteors, getting caught up in the vortex Lucan's spiral was creating. Axel even threw in a weak Aeroblast into the mix.

Eventually, with his massive arsenal of moves in hand, Lucan collided with the soul surge. There was a massive explosion, sending the hovering creatures careening backward. A tall cloud of black smoke was all that remained, no indication of who had been triumphant in the clash.

Until Lucan came barreling out the other side, looking fine except for some singed fur, and Electro Ball still in hand.

_WHAT- _Ed started.

"-the hell?" I finished. Lucan was absolutely beaming. Was that the plan all along? One Electro Ball?

"I knew you'd use Surge of Soul eventually." Axel said, smirking smugly.

_WE did. _Vanessa thought huffily. _And we figured, enough energy from our attacks would be enough to counteract it. _

_And after we counteracted it, Lucan would still have a surviving Electro Ball. _Amy said.

_Which he'd store all his electric energy into. _Jet finished the explanation, looking at the others as if he was looking for confirmation that he'd said the right thing. My spirit cried out in elation. They'd had a telepathic conference without Ed noticing. Perhaps I'd held him back without noticing.

_That's it? _Ed chided, laughing maliciously. _Even with all his measly energy, it won't even leave a bruise._

"Except your spirit will be weakened after the use of that Surge of Soul." Axel explained.

_So? My body will be fine._

"Did you know that in battle in my world, a Pokémon is allowed to hold a single item?"

_What does that have to do with this, hybrid?_

"You'll find out. It'll be amusing. Trust me."

Frozen and with no defense, Ed was struck square on the forehead. It hurt… more than he thought it would. I felt the galvanic strength of that Electro Ball surge through me too, the pain flowing through my bones and up my spine to taze my brain painfully. And then… something interesting happened.

I felt a pull on my mind, attempting to tear it away from Ed's. My avatar disappeared and I once again saw things from Ed's eyes. I felt something between my eyes where the Electro Ball had struck. Ahead of me was Lucan, still with that elated face. I would have tilted my head were I in control of it. I felt a euphoria of soothing sensations, my mind enveloped in a healing wrap, partially fixing the damage Ed had done to it.

_What…? _Ed started to say. He sounded exhausted, as if ready to collapse.

"That thing on your head?" Lucan said as he folded his arms. "I put it in the Electro Ball. It's the lightning medallion."

My eyes widened of Ed's accord.

"The medallions have the power to give people the body of a legendary bird. An original body isn't required. Theoretically, a mind could enter the medallion and become that legendary bird. Guess what? By putting all my electric energy into that Electro Ball, that medallion's primed and ready again! And since you have two minds in there -" I felt the tug as I was severed from Ed and my essence flowed into the warm medallion. "-we can separate you both! Ventus! Come on out!"

Hell yeah.

My vision was filled with radiant yellow light before fading into the glorious blue sky. I flapped my wings. And they responded. Never have I felt so grateful for my nerves to be doing their job. I flapped again, feeling the currents of air slide between my feathers with such a gentle grace. Before I knew it, I was high in the sky, with a body free of injury. I looked to my right, seeing the black and yellow, jagged feathers of Zapdos. I expected the same crest was of the others was now on my chest, but it mattered little. My head tilted downward, looking upon all my friends and Ed, still trapped in the ice.

_You're… You're back! _I heard Amy as the Articuno approached from below. I received an unexpected, yet welcome, nuzzle from the legendary ice bird. I gazed into her eyes and nodded. Simple enough. Reunions would have to wait.

_Ventus… _Ed broke through the ice with an animalistic roar. He soared from the surface, eyes locked on mine as he flew upwards. Lucan scurried onto a large ice floe that rocked out to see. The mouse was stranded.

_Lucan! _I shouted and made a move to go collect him.

_I'm fine! _Lucan shouted back as his icy vessel hit a wave and sent him flying three feet up. He landed safely, but it was close. _Don't come down here. _

_Lucan… okay! Amy. Jet. Vanessa. I need one more thing from you. _The trio of legendary avians soared upwards to hover in a circle around me. I conveyed my feelings of gratitude towards them. I was grateful for everything. For coming along with me and risking their lives in this venture. For being my friends. And for giving me this one last chance to make things right again.

"Hold it right there, buddy!" Axel shouted as he and Kenya both grabbed hold of one of Ed's wings to hold the titan back with all their strength. Axel even put some psychic effort into it. The Shadow Lugia's eyes never left me. All that anger and fear that had been accumulated over thirteen years were being focused directly on me. He didn't even acknowledge the pair keeping him at bay, even as he writhed in their grip. "As much as I love this, guys, you might want to get on DOING SOMETHING!"

_So, you're free, that's lovely. _Vanessa said not entirely sincerely. _Now, we need a plan here, fearless leader. _

_Working on it. _I pushed the thought out through the various gears running through my head. Switching bodies tended to leave a migraine with you for a while.

My thinking speed wasn't too great. Or maybe Ed's was just faster. Either way, he sent out a pair of shady ropes from his body to wrap around Axel and Kenya, pinning their arms to their sides. The two gasped for air as their restraints squeezed their lungs to emptiness. Kenya opened his maw to release some sort of counterattack, but the appendage coiled around him was quick to extend to smother the dragon. Kenya's eyes widened as he strained and struggled for air. Ed didn't relent and the Dragonite's eyes shut. He went completely limp, wings and all.

"Son of a Bulbasaur! Stop being so clingy, Ed!" Axel seethed as he wriggled pointlessly in Ed's grasp. I don't know if I could sweat as a Zapdos, but I was certainly feeling something cold slide down my back. "I like me too, but you don't need to- MRPHH!"

_Silence. _Ed's face blared satisfaction. Then again, I can understand why. He'd done what I (heck, what _anyone_) could only dream of doing. Make Axel Igaul shut up. The coil tightened around the hybrid's mouth and nose. He strained for oxygen, but the odds of him receiving it were slim to none.

_HEY! _Vanessa wasn't letting that go by without a fight. She opened her beak for a retaliation which would probably come in the form of the amount of fire which would make an arsonist blush.

Once again, Ed's speed was impeccable. A quartet of fresh ropes flowed from Ed, curling around Vanessa's beak before snaring her completely in a cold and tight embrace. The others were aimed directly for the rest of us. I flapped away frantically, hoping to get out of reach of the thing. Unfortunately, my talons were snagged as I made my escape, my wings smacking into my sides when the coils extended upwards. Amy tried fighting back, launching another Blizzard in hopes of pushing the attack back. No such luck. The noose closed and the Articuno was trapped. Jet tried a similar tactic of blasting flames at the stuff. Whatever that extra appendage of Ed's was made of, it was immune to fire. It snaked right through Jet's defences and gave him an unwanted hug.

_Now that the Lugia brat is out, I have full control! _Ed screeched mentally. _Have you any idea the dead weight you've taken off, humans? What did you think would happen? _At that moment, I turned my gaze back to Axel, who had passed out from lack of oxygen. I cringed. I had hoped there were more to Axel's grand plan than merely freeing me. It seemed that wasn't to be the case. Ed smirked. _I enjoy the hybrid's silence. I will, perhaps, enjoy it more if his face were to disappear alongside his voice. _

The Shadow Lugia's eyes lit up for a split second, within which the bindings around Axel and Kenya vanished and they fell like boulders. Kenya dropped in first, soon followed by his trainer, each leaving with their own tremendous splash.

"AXEL!" Lucan cried out vocally as well as mentally. Without thinking about how terrible an idea it was, Lucan dove into the big blue in hopes of helping. I don't know what he expected to do, but it was too late to call him back. My heart sank as deep as the mouse.

_Ah, it seems I was correct. This is much better. _I felt the extension of Ed's will wrapped around my body crawl up my neck. In my peripheral vision, I saw the others falling victim to the darkness slipping across their beaks. _Now… it's time I said goodbye to you all. Ventus. Thanks for the body. As for the rest of you… off to hell. You'll be there shortly. Your ticket is my treat. _

I couldn't breathe. I held my breath for as long as possible. I squirmed and struggled in the demon's grip as best I could, but my prison wouldn't break. All I could do was wiggle uselessly as my heartbeat began to slow as my lungs screamed for air. I was used to breathing everywhere. I suppose I had either gotten used to the concept or I wasn't accustomed to the new body yet, because I was losing my breath faster than I would have otherwise. I would have released some kind of attack if I knew how to use them. Wings tucked up and beaks blocked off, the others were no better off. We were incapacitated, Axel, Kenya and Lucan's fates were in question and-

… and… I could only hope that _he _survived.

Dizziness was consuming me. When had my eyes shut? I don't know. When did my body start to feel so heavy? No clue. Why was I not even trying anymore? Couldn't fathom a guess. Was I dying? Fairly certain.

And then… help came. From an… interesting source.

**End of Chapter Twenty-Three.**


	24. Who We Are

**Chapter 24: Who We Are**

Suddenly, the substance around my beak slid off thanks to our good pal gravity. After taking in a momentous, refreshing breath, I looked downward to see that the small section of dark matter which was around my mouth had been quite literally sliced off and was now falling like an Autumn leaf downward. From Ed's disgruntled face, I assumed it wasn't his will. I followed his eyes to my left and I almost laughed at what I saw… and heard.

"Prepare for trouble, you aren't killing those birds!"

"Make it double, their ours, haven't you heard?"

"To infect all worlds with devastation!"

"To wipe out weird Lugia breeds for every nation!"

"To denounce the extinction of valuable species!"

"To breed and sell 'em, for unbelievable fees!"

"Cassidy!"

"And Butch is here, too!"

"We're Team Rocket, circling this new earth all day and night!"

"Surrender now, or you'll surely lose the fight!"

It was an odd thing to see. Even for me. Butch and Cassidy were indeed here and they had, in fact, saved our lives. How were they this high in the air? Honestly, I couldn't be sure at first. They just kind of… were. Once I got some more oxygen to my brain, I found that I wasn't hallucinating. Team Rocket was standing in midair as if there were an invisible floor beneath their feet. Which, on closer inspection, there was. There was some kind of glass surface reflecting sunlight underneath them. The source of which, I assumed, was the Pokémon standing between the two waving its 'gloved' hands in oppositely rotating circles. If I hadn't been able to pick up on what was and wasn't a Pokémon by this point, I might have mistaken it for a kid in a mime costume. It _was_ human-shaped, but its arms were incredibly spindly, its shoulders were giant orbs, it had ears shaped like horns and it looked to be covered from head to toe in make-up (which I suspected to simply be part of its physiology). As for what had cut the darkness, there was another Pokémon present that resembled a fusion of a praying mantis and a crab. It was standing on two legs (or would if it wasn't hovering in place with vibrating wings on its back) with crab-like claws at the end of its 'arms'. It had black striations down its front and yellow circles near each of the claws. Its spiked head had a pair of intense, glowering eyes.

Ed didn't waste any time in attempting to restrain the buffoons as well. It was surprising to all parties involved when his dark tentacle was blocked by another invisible wall. Butch and Cassidy laughed.

"Try to capture us all you like big boy, this combination of Reflect, Light Screen, and Barrier is impenetrable!" Cassidy cackled. "Now, Butch!"

"With pleasure!" Butch responded, pointing at Ed with enthusiasm. "Scizor, give 'im a Razor Wind!"

_Help 'em out! _I told the others. With their beaks free and thoughts ablaze with affirmation, they released streams of fire and ice. Ed swerved out of the way of them, but was unable to avoid the current of razor-sharp air from Scizor which struck him in the joints right where the wing met the body. He began to fall and the distraction made him lose his grip on me. I managed to slither out, taking flight once more into the blue yonder. I took some deep breaths of fresh air into my abused lungs. Much better. Amy, Jet, and Vanessa escaped as well, lining up beside me as we stared down at Ed. He wasn't amused. Quickly recovering, he attempted to reclaim us once more. But I wasn't letting that happen again. My brain clicked just in time and I thought up a move on the spot. I leaned into a dive, headfirst towards the ropes coming my way. I tucked my wings in and spun my entire body. I felt the extensions attempt to snare me again, but luckily, the sharpness of my feathers and the speed at which I was spinning knocked them all astray. I barreled into Ed with the Drill Peck, hearing a grunt before I broke the assault to fly off and avoid any retaliation.

"Scizor, now use Metal Claw!" Butch ordered.

_YOU are a nuisance! _Ed screamed, tossing a Shadow Blast Scizor's way. The bug was struck and flew like a meteor into his trainer's barrier. The mime Pokémon must have lost its concentration or something, because the troupe was falling into the sea seconds later, kicking and screaming as they fell. Meh, they'd _probably_ be okay. I had other things to worry about. Like where exactly the button for electricity was in this body. _Why won't you whelps just DIE?!_

_You don't even know the half of it. _

All of us froze when that second voice sprung up. Even Ed. I certainly hoped Ed's stress wasn't giving my body an ulcer. All heads faced downward to where it had emanated from. Ed's out of character 'meep' and our gasps of joy harmonized perfectly as we stared at the swirling section of ocean water. The swirling sped up gradually, eventually becoming a swiftly spinning whirlpool. Only instead of the normal kind of whirlpool that swirls inwards, this one was spurning outwards, towards us. And before that became something to wonder about, that swirling water shot outwards as a towering, rotating, pillar of water. It shot above Ed's head, my own, everyone's, really. It became taller than any skyscraper I'd ever seen.

But believe it or- I'll just assume you believe it now- that wasn't the main event. There was something swirling up with the water. A silhouette wormed along within it, climbing the tides higher and higher, threatening to emerge at eye level to Ed.

And the best part? It looked… very familiar.

I've said it before, but I don't think I've ever felt so good in my life to see that figure coming to join in the battle. My heart melted and my mind brightened. There was no more fear in my soul. It had all been cleansed just by the presence of the imposing creature.

_No… NO! _Ed blurted out before launching a Shadow Blast at the watery tornado. As if by magic, the dark energy spun off the vortex as if it had the density of a pebble. _Stop this now! I demand that you stop! _

_We're not taking instructions, idiot! _Vanessa tipped her beak up at him.

The figure climbing up the ocean tempest stopped when he'd reached Ed's level and the water burst apart into individual droplets. And there he was, floating before a widely gaping Ed, eyes shut and emotions angered to a degree I couldn't even comprehend. On his back kneeled a very wet Axel Igaul and on _his _shoulder, a confidently smirking Lucan. My beak opened as I tried my best to emulate a smile as I stared down at the bird who had waited so patiently for my return. And who had returned himself to help me. My heart sank when I realized he probably wouldn't recognize me in this body.

_How…? _Ed wasn't able to get past word one. Luckily, Axel put his sentence together for him and explained in that Axel manner.

"Well, you kinda had me worried when my heart stopped." He began. "Fortunately, Lucan, the itsy-bitsy moron, swam down to save me as we sank. He grabbed onto my leg and gave Kenya and I a jump start. Even without Zapdos' power, this lil' guy can pack a punch, lemme tell you. As we woke up, however, we saw, near the shallow floor we were about to hit, that somebody else had gotten a wake-up call from Lucan's Thunderbolt. Try to guess who."

Dad then opened his eyes and they instantaneously locked onto Ed. I saw Ed, Axel, Lucan, and felt myself flinch from the spike of rage in his emotional grid.

_You. _Dad's body began to surge with a cyan light and my eyes widened as I realized it was the surge of soul. _It's because of you. _The light rippled and surged as the duplicate came into being around my father.

_Yes. And I'd gladly do it again. _Ed suddenly smirked as his own body started to ripple with similar surge of soul energy. Only, of course, it was dark as night.

_SURGE OF SOUL! _My father shouted without hesitation.

_SURGE OF SOUL! _Ed countered.

The two Lugian duplicates collided between the two, deteriorating into a pair of black and blue blobs that began to wrestle with each other, as if sentient, for domination. The rest of us became spectators as the light of dad's soul burned brighter and the darkness of Ed's blackened deeper. My insides froze. Dad had to win. He would win. He was my dad. He was the strongest thing around. His strength of spirit was stronger. I knew it was.

So why was Ed's soul beginning to consume dad's?

_Heheheheh. _Ed chuckled. Dad growled back at him. Dad's face became disgruntled and so did Ed's. They were putting a lot psychic strain into this. The difference being that Ed was coming out on top. _You really must be weak right now. _

"How is he-" Lucan spluttered. "-losing?"

_He's losing because the Surge of Soul is not something you can use in his condition. _Ed explained with a snicker. Dad snarled back at him. _Thirteen years of misery and being physically and mentally unwell? Can we have an estimate for how long this'll last?_

"About fifteen seconds if we don't do something?" Axel grumbled.

_Give the hybrid a prize. In fact, I will. Here's a hint. It starts with 'd'. _

_Dad… _I thought in despair. I recalled the Surge of Soul was built on the foundation of positive energy. And after all that time alone… there was nothing but a wasteland for that space in dad's heart. We could attack Ed, but… in the end he'd still have my body. And if we killed him, we'd be one body short and we'd have to give Zapdos his strength back eventually, leaving me adrift.

Maybe it was better that way. At least he wouldn't be around anymore.

_No Ventus. _My head swerved to attention when I heard dad speak up again. His eyes were still on the battle of souls happening before him. Still, I felt an emotion of comfort wash over me.

_Dad? _I thought he hadn't recognized me, but he had!

_A body is merely clothes for the soul and mind, my son. I forgot that when I saw this… monstrosity approach me, but I am thinking clearly now. _His stare turned to me and I felt my eyes water as he smiled. _I love you my boy. And that will never change. I will protect you now and return you to your body, safe and sound. I failed when you were a child. I refuse to fail now. _

_But dad-_

_This is not up for debate, Ventus! _The crossness in his voice was startling and touching at the same time. _I will save you. _

_What are you doing? _Ed's voice interrupted our heart to heart, but for a reason I was interested in. The gradual domination of Ed's soul over my father's had stopped. The blue energy wasn't exactly making a comeback, but the shadow's progress had ceased entirely.

"It froze." Lucan stated the obvious, blinking at the event in confusion.

_That's it! _I telepathically yelled as the idea sparked in my brain. _Axel! Can you transfer our thoughts into my dad's head?_

"Yeah, sure, if he'll let me!" Axel replied. Dad nodded and the hybrid placed his hand on the back of dad's head.

_Stop! Stop right there! _Ed was still trying to order us around. I ignored him.

_Everyone! _I drew the attention of Lucan, Amy, Vanessa, and Jet. _Think of all your best memories. Every time you've ever laughed at something funny! Every game you've ever won! Every moment that made you the slightest bit content and throw it at Axel! Axel!_

"I know, me too! I'm doing it!"

The others nodded and closed their eyes to focus. I did the same. A flurry of thoughts were soon to follow, difficult to distinct from one another, but I managed to hear them.

_Seeing my little bro for the first time._

_Stealing my first diamond._

_My tenth birthday. _

_Finding Ven. _

_Punching Apollo in the face. _

And I too strained my brain to remember all the good moments of my life to add to the pool. I banished Ed from my head to think of only what would end up stopping him. There was a sixth voice which joined in with the ones I was hearing. And it was obvious who it was.

_My son opening his eyes for the first time. _

_Learning Volt Tackle. _

_Watching Kenya hatch. _

_Getting away with cheating at football with dad. _

_Mom coming home. _

_Letters from dad. _

_STOP THIS NOW! _Dad's soul was brimming with power by this point, beginning to reclaim its territory in the fight. Ed might have attempted to cease our thoughts by force with his other powers, but at the moment he had to put all his focus into this uphill battle. _YOU CAN'T DO THIS TO ME! IT'S NOT FAIR! I'VE SUFFERED FOR LONGER THAN YOU! I'M TELLING YOU, IT'S NOT FAIR!_

_Earning my eighth badge. _

_Being Ho-Oh. _

_Meeting Zack._

_Having friends. _

_Battling Latios and Latias. _

_Ventus learning to swim._

_No… _Ed was visibly weakening. He was cringing desperately. I'm sure he was sweating. Dad's soul was beginning to pulsate and grow, taking large chunks out of Ed's.

_I kept my rep up. _

_He's home now._

_I can be strong on my own. _

_My family's together again._

_I've got a new adventure coming up. _

_I kept my promise._

_Ventus! _I opened my eyes as dad's voice blared through the others like a megaphone in a crowd. I looked over at him, opening my eyes. His were still on the battle of spirits which wasn't much of a battle anymore. Ed's soul was nearly diminished and he knew it. _Land on his back and don't let go. _

Hope ignited my heartstrings in a blaze of glory. I didn't know what would happen, but if dad was telling me to do it, it wasn't something I was going to debate. I swooped in on Ed. My talons latched onto two of his plates, the beast attempting to buck me off in response.

_YOU CAN'T DO THIS!_

_SHUT! _I charged electricity in my wings. _UP! _I let it loose into Ed's body as dad's soul won the battle, swiftly gliding through Ed's defense and cascading over the Shadow Lugia himself. The watery coating spread over Ed quickly, covering Ed in a thick layer of soul gel. When the substance reached my talons, it surrounded me as well as a cleansing sensation washed over me. For split seconds at a time, I saw images flashing before my eyes as the Surge of Soul consumed me completely and I realized that these images were the memories we had inputted to increase the attack's strength. They flickered by as I felt another strong tug on my mind.

I saw baby Leo. I saw a very expensive-looking diamond. I saw a family of various Pokémon. I saw Axel. I saw Jet's mom.

I saw myself.

I grinned.

Wait a minute, I can't grin as Zapdos. The only kind of beak that can grin is a Lugia's. When my brain put this together, my eyes opened wide.

My sudden weight increase was… very familiar. My mind was picking up on the feelings of those around me (relief and joy for those who're curious). I swerved my long tail behind me as a giddiness I couldn't explain washed through me as my grin widened.

I would have said something along the lines of: "YEAAAAAH" if it weren't for the aching pain that seemed to be the basic structure of my skeletal structure. My flapping wings gave out and I fell like a sack of bricks. I felt like one. Exhausted. Heavy. Weak. A fierce headache made my thoughts a blur.

The last thing I remember before passing out was landing on something soft.

**End of Chapter Twenty-Four.**


	25. Where We Belong

**Chapter 25: Where We Belong (Epilogue)**

_Thank you. Thank you all… so very much. _

"I keep telling you big guy, it was no problem for me. Don't know if _these _guys broke a sweat, but-"

"Shut up Axel."

_It's because of you that my son is here… alive… and safe. Thank you. Your courage and your strength have given me my family back. Thank you. I… owe my life to you all. _

"Whoa, whoa, I didn't think you were the huggy type!"

_Is… this not what humans do to express their affection?_

"Well-"

"Ah, keep going. It's fine, dude."

"Um… you're… w-welcome, Mister… uh…"

_Ah, I've forgotten. You may call me Zephyros."_

"That's your name?" I asked reflexively. The revelation had snapped me out of my daze and made my eyes open wide. I found myself leaned up against a tree next to my very dilapidated birth nest. A tepid tropical breeze blew past me, complimenting the orange sky remarkably well. The warm feeling of a summer night sifted through my feathers, invoking a calmness without peer. I looked forward to blush when seven pairs of eyes met mine. They were all there. Amy, Jet, Vanessa (all back in human form), Axel, Lucan, dad (or "Zephyros", apparently), and even Mew-Mew had made a full recovery, now sitting on Axel's head and chomping on a muffin. Dad was looking over his shoulder at me and I could see the faintest hint of a disbelieving smile turn into an open-mouthed grin. "Father…"

"Ven!" I heard two high-pitched voices squeal just before Amy and Lucan launched their surprise hug attack pattern. It felt like a pair of insects had landed considering my size, but I still wrapped my wings around the two of them as they laughed away like children.

"You had me scared there, 'ya big jerk!" Amy said, giving my blubbery body a playful punch.

"Hahahaha," I chuckled. I squeezed her and Lucan tight, relishing in the pure happiness shredding off of them. I began translating my speaking voice in Amy's head when I spoke again. "Gotta keep you on your toes."

"Welcome back, Ven." Lucan said. "I'm glad you're safe."

"Same for you little buddy." I stroked the back of his head with a feather finger. He cooed delightfully.

"Ventus," I swerved my head when I heard the familiar voice in a not-so-familiar vocal format. My heart liquefied when I saw the larger Lugia bear down on me with that quivering grin… and watering eyes. Water rushed up to my own eyes as a frown forced itself onto my face. Without another thought, my legs responded and I leapt for him, Amy and Lucan being thrown aside in the process. I didn't care, they hadn't waited thirteen and a half years for this.

My head plowed into his chest as the tears broke the floodgates for both of us. We wrapped one another in our wings. I tasted my salty tears as they washed down my face and onto his soft chest feathers. Some of which could have been his. He held me tight as if I'd be stolen away again if he let go. I held just as strong as joyful sobs bubbled out of my throat. After so long, after so much pain, after so much yearning for a family, a father, and someone who would love me always, the moment was here. I couldn't form words. I don't know how long we remained that way. Maybe an hour. All I know was I could do nothing but sob and cry in pure joy. I felt gentle strokes and pats on my back as I let it all out. We'd met before in my dreams and all, but this was different. This was… real. My dad was here. I was home. That was all that mattered.

"It's alright Ventus," dad said in between sobs of his own. "You're home now. Everything's alright."

"Then why're you crying?" I shot back laughing and choking back a wail at the same time.

"Haha!" Dad and I joined together in a good laugh. I… don't think I could have been more content. I sniffled as dad sent his paternal love via telepathy to me. It felt good and I returned the favor. The sheer glee in our smiles could make Vanessa's heart melt. And I'm pretty sure it was.

"I love you Ventus."

"Love you too… dad."

"Welp!" I heard Axel's voice and a pair of hands clapping. Dad and I reluctantly looked over to the bored-looking hybrid to see what he wanted. "As fun as this is, we better get down to business! I gotta get moving!"

I narrowed my eyes in annoyance at him, as did everyone else except for dad and Lucan.

"Just like that?" I asked.

"Yup." He said, putting his hands behind his head in relaxing pose. "What? The adventure may be over for the rest of you, but I gotta go back in time and help you all over again. Bi-Bi and Mew-Mew are just about ready to pack it up, so you guys better say your goodbyes too so we can open some portals!"

"So… what? You're just gonna leave? After all we did? Not even going to rest for a bit?"

"Hey, this was fun and all, but I got lots more adventure waiting for me. After I'm done with you guys, I gotta head to Sinnoh to stop a team hell-bent on taking over the world by my own wits and a limited assistance. Just another day for Axel Igaul."

"You're unbelievable," Vanessa scoffed. Axel shot her a wink.

"Y'got that right. And for your information, I can't wait. The walls between worlds are building up again. And I can only keep Mew-Mew's attention for so long. Once I open these portals up, they'll be your last shot to get back home."

"WHAT?!" The humans shouted. I looked up at dad and he nodded.

"By the way," Axel continued. "Is anyone gonna tell Ventus?"

"Tell Ventus what?" I blinked at him. Vanessa marched over to me and removed a circular make-up kit from her pocket. She opened it with a click, revealing a mirror and my eyes widened.

My feathers, my mask, my plates, and even my tail spikes were all the hues that a Shadow Lugia would have. I was still coloured a harsh violet. Horror spiked in my chest, but it was swiftly crushed beneath a reassuring wing coming around me.

"It's alright Ventus. He's gone."

"B-But what-?"

"Look at your eyes." I did and I blinked in confusion at them. My eyes had whites again. The irises were still red, but it was the usual tone of red, not the blood crimson of Ed's. Dad nodded and pulled me in again. "I used my Surge of Soul to flush that shadow out of your body and put a block on your mind and that of Zapdos' body. The shadow left your body and I used my Surge of Soul to destroy it. He has no control over you anymore. He's dead Ventus."

"But why do I still-"

"I'm not sure, but the effect on your body was permanent. But it doesn't matter Ventus." I looked up at him to find a kind smile as he stroked my back. "You're you. And that is all I care about."

I smiled as my heart once again turned to putty. I hugged dad again with all my strength.

"Thank you… dad."

"As touching as that is, what exactly was that thing?" Vanessa asked, crossing her arms. "I'm glad everything's hunky dorey, but I'm still confused."

"It's a long story." I explained. She looked at me as if I'd grown a third wing. "I… was in his mind for a while. And-"

"Long story? Forget it then. His name was Ed, he was an ass, 'nuff said!" Axel said just before snapping his fingers. "Let's gooooo people. I want to get out of here and have a nap!"

Mew-Mew's ears flicked at the sound of that snap and she sprang into action. She stuck the muffin in her mouth to hold it and clapped her paws. I felt a swirling vortex of air and there was a flash of light, forcing my eyes shut. When I managed to pry them open again, there was a surprised flinch to be had when I saw four separate 'gates' of whirling cobalt energy across from us. They seemed to be tears in the very air itself. I recognized them as different kinds of portals which my dad had once attempted to use before I stopped him.

"Amy, the far left one's for you." Axel said as he got the info from the feasting Mew-Mew's head. "It'll take you right home." Amy was about to ask how Mew-Mew knew where to put her, except Axel gave her a smirk and she inferred that the cat had read her mind. She quieted down. "The one next to that is for Jet, the next is Vanessa, and the far right is for lil' ol' me." He looked back at me. "Anything I should know before I head back here and turn back the clock a few months with Bi-Bi?"

"Yes." Vanessa cut me off. She was writing something on a slip of paper and sauntering towards Axel. She handed the paper to him when she was done. Amy seemed to recall something as well and dug into her pockets and removed a familiar pamphlet. She handed it to him as well. Axel stared at them with a quirked brow.

"And what're these."

"That's my private line." Vanessa explained. Axel shot her a smug look and she went redder than a tomato. "Not a word. You're gonna need it. Just… trust me."

"And that's something you've gotta give to us right before you say goodbye," Amy said, tapping the pamphlet. "It's what allows us to meet you."

"Ah. So I know what to blame then." He said, depositing both into his pockets. "Ventus?"

I nodded and with a compressed telepathic explanation, I told him the information he would require when he met us in the past. I told him what he told us then and remembered to insert a message telling him not to tell us anything else.

"Got it!" he tilted his head up. "So, I'm gonna head home and get some stuff, then I come back here in the past to tell your dad that I'm going to get you. Then I head to your world and aim for Amy's place, right? And find out all the info I can on something called the paranormal creatures society, that right?"

"Yes."

"So… what's the significance of the word 'Luna'?"

"Nothing. Now, remember, catch Entei, explain what you can, and get your butt out of there. And no matter how much I moan, no matter how much I try to convince you otherwise, it's imperative that you leave without me."

"Why?"

"Trust me. You'll see why, just trust me." He shrugged. "One more thing…"

"Yeah?"

"Who are you, Axel? Really?"

"Haha, that's a story for another day, Ventus. Alright then. It's off to my world where more adventure and grandeur awaits!"

"WAAAIT!" A scream broke out from behind me. All heads turned to follow Lucan running towards Axel as fast as his tiny legs would carry him. He leapt toward the hybrid and Axel caught him, looking surprised at the sudden outburst. Lucan was grinning even more broadly than me. "Lemme come with you!"

"Huh?" Amy quirked a brow, clearly perplexed at why anyone would deign to go with Axel of their own free will. Honestly, I couldn't share her feelings.

Because I had seen this coming.

"Sorry?" Axel responded.

"I-I promise, I won't slow you down! And I'll help you out with those Pokémon battles you told me about!"

"Uh, Lucan, you do realize that you may never come back here again, right? I'm not a taxi service."

"Ahem," went Mew-Mew.

"Mew-Mew's not a taxi service."

Lucan's face darkened at this. "I know. And-" he looked at me with those cute dot black eyes. "I love Ven and I love Zephyros too… and I know I only left to go and find Ven, but-" His face brightened to an ecstatic shine. "-you taught me so much Axel. All my moves were cool to learn and you also taught me… that I can be strong! I like that feeling. I liked fightin' with 'ya Axel, it was the time of my life. And… I'd love to be part of your family, if you'll let me."

Amy and Jet were staring at the mouse with bittersweet expressions. We'd been through a lot with the mouse and he'd always been a faithful friend. But he had already made his choice, I could tell. So, as a friend, there was only thing to say.

"Come on Axel." I encouraged. "Can you resist that face?"

"Ven!" The Pikachu's eyes shimmered in the glance he gave me. I nodded with a grin. I was happy for him. I really was.

"Lucan," dad spoke up. "You've grown on your quest. You helped me bring my son back and you've kept me company for these years I have been without him. For that, I am truly thankful. You've helped my son find where he belongs." Dad nodded. "And I believe you have found where you belong. With Axel. I'll always think of you as a part of our family as well." I think Lucan was about to burst into tears as well. "But that shouldn't stop you from joining another. Good luck Lucan."

"Zephyros…" Lucan said, lip quivering. He wiped the tears from his eyes. Determination replaced them. "So, whaddya say, Axel."

"BWAHAHAHA! I was never against it." The half-legendary ruffled Lucan's head. "Sure thing! I'll gain a new little brother, an electric powerhouse, and a battery for when the power goes out at home. Kidding on that last part, but it'll be fun." Axel reached into his pocket and removed a pokéball from within that had a green top and a silver bottom, showing it to Lucan. "You know what this is?"

"Yeah. I gotta go inside those right?"

"Correctimundo!"

"Does it… hurt?"

"Not. A. Bit."

"Okay then!" Lucan shouted before he pumped a fist in the air. He spun around to face the rest of us. "Goodbye Ven. Goodbye Zephyros." Dad and I waved and made our feelings of gratitude and love known in our own special way. "Goodbye Amy and Jet! It was great being with you guys!"

"Bye Lucan!" Amy said. "You were awesome!"

"Bye Lucan." Jet mumbled, sheepishly.

"Bye Vanessa!" Lucan waved. She didn't respond. Lucan understood and returned to Axel. "I'm ready."

"Alright-y." Axel let Lucan go and the electric type landed on his feet. The hybrid tossed the pokéball gently at the Pikachu. As we expected, the rodent was converted to energy and sucked inside, offering no resistance as the ball gave a couple of rolls and clicked shut. In an astonishing move of… being Axel, the Pokémon trainer picked up the sphere, spun around and posed to no one in particular. "And here's a big welcome to the family for Lucan!"

"You're such a pain." Vanessa said. Axel blew her a kiss.

"I think I'll miss messing with you most of all, Vanilla. Zephyros. Nice meeting you. Ventus, keep it real. Amy and Jet, lovely working with you."

"Y'know," Vanessa said, sliding in between Axel and his ride home. "I never did get to pay you back for spitting in my face."

"I said sorry."

"Insincerely."

"Since when does that matter?"

"Hmph." She then glanced at me. "Seeya Venny dear. It's been real. Hope you have a great life you two!"

"Thank you." Dad said.

"Thanks Vanessa. You were a big help," I followed up, saying what was truly on my mind.

"Bye Jetty," Vanessa continued. She winked. "Don't go falling for anyone else now." If there existed a deeper shade of red on Jet's face, it was imperceptible to the living eye. "Bye Amy. Believe it or not, I had fun."

"Yeah… let's have that fight sometime!" Amy said, pumping a fist at the thief. Vanessa gave her a friendly thumbs up.

"Group hug?" Axel taunted. Vanessa, satisfyingly, delivered unto him an extremely justified slap on the face. The smack broke the sound barrier and the imprint left on the hybrid's face calmed me in a demented sort of way. "Maybe when I see you next time, you insufferable twit!"

"BWAHAHAHA!" Axel was no worse for wear, it seemed. "Next time? We'll be worlds apart, missy!"

"Hmm, will we?"

"What does that mean?"

"You said your world was full of adventure and grandeur?"

"Yes…"

"Well…" she winked at him and stuck her tongue out. "I _am _a treasure hunter. And there's a whole new world of plundering to set out on. Without my parents siphoning my funds off. I'm not gonna say goodbye Axel. Because I plan on getting my dues. One way or another."

She then dashed into the portal without another word. Axel's portal.

That was the first and last time I saw Axel gape at something in pure disbelief. The look faded into rage as he charged for the portal as well.

"OH NO! She is NOT messing with any of my stuff! Bye everyone! Let's go Mew-Mew!"

And it was goodbye to the hybrid as well as he ducked into the light, taking his muffin-munching cat Pokémon with him. That specific portal then began to shut, closing in on itself like a black hole.

"WAIT!"

"DON'T LEAVE WITHOUT US!"

Before it diminished completely, however, a pair of voices broke out from within the forest. Butch and Cassidy burst from the foliage seconds later, dashing towards the portal with all their might. I felt my dad's anger spike when he realized these two had once made me suffer, but I sent a calming mental massage his way, assuring him that they were truly no threat. They couldn't be if they tried. And they have.

Unfortunately for Team Rocket, the portal disappeared completely before they could reach it. They groaned. However, a device in Butch's hand began to blink when he neared the portal meant for Vanessa. He looked at it, grinned, and showed it to Cassidy. The two giggled giddily as they walked towards it.

"Massive amounts of energy through here Cassidy. We could use it for the boss!" Butch explained.

"Mmmhmm," Cassidy mumbled back. They both then whirled back to us. "Prepare for trouble, hot as the sun!"

"Make it double, we're skipping this one!" Butch finished just as he grabbed Cassidy's collar and dragged her into the portal which then disappeared just like its counterpart had.

That brought a thought to my mind. That energy they detected must have been the medallions while they were in our world. But that would mean the portals would have to go back in time to just before I was captured by the P.C.S. Back when Amy, Jet, and Vanessa had gone missing from their families' perspective. Did the portals go back through time as well? Why? So their families wouldn't miss them? Had it been a final gift from Mew-Mew? Or from another party involved in the portal-making process? Alas, I never knew.

"Well, my turn, I guess." Jet declared happily, losing his speech impediment for a minute as the collective happiness shared by everyone here bore itself before us in his smile. He bowed to dad in a gesture that almost made me burst out laughing. "It was an honour meeting my island's saviour. You… probably don't remember- It was a hundred years ago, after all."

"Ah, you must be a descendant of those on the island about to be crushed by the tsunami."

"Uhhhh…" Jet gaped. My father chuckled.

"Back then, the portals were more… open, able to be accessed by anyone. My mate and I- we went there as a… vacation, I suppose you would call it."

It's amazing what faces one can make when they figure out how their people's culture was formed.

"A… vacation."

"Yes. Your people were in danger. There was no reason not to help. And…"

"And…?"

"My mate… enjoyed the heroism."

Okay, that time I giggled. Jet nearly fell over out of awkwardness and Amy was scratching her head in bewilderment.

"Ventus, what is it?" Dad asked.

"You saved a culture to impress your wife?" Amy spluttered.

"I had… proper intentions in mind as well, of course."

I laughed harder than I should have. The happiness in the air was overwhelming. I guess when you peeled back the loneliness, my dad was a joker at heart. I still had a lot to learn about him, but I was already liking the idea of not having a serious father all the time.

"I… think I should go now." I don't think Jet would be telling his dad this story. I think it might kill Rallis. "Bye Ventus. Bye Zephyros, sir. B-Bye Amy."

"Bye Jet. Thank you. What you did was… courageous. And I mean it. Thanks, from the bottom of my heart." I told him truthfully. It was weird. This goodbye felt… good. But not in a bad way. It was hard to explain, but there was no sorrow now. There was no room with all this love everywhere.

"It was my pleasure. It was fun."

"Bye Jet! You were a cool dude. Look me up back home, okay? I'll introduce you to pizza and bowling." Amy followed up. She held her fist out and he bumped it with his. With another wave, he dived into his own portal.

And then there was one.

"I'll… go check on the medallions," dad said as he took his wings off of me. "I put them away before you woke up."

"Okay dad," I nodded as he went to work. I appreciated the sentiment. You didn't need telepathy to tell Amy wanted to be alone. She walked up to me and gave me such a galvanic stare with those beautiful brown eyes.

Amy. My first companion. My first friend. My best friend. What else was there to say that hadn't already been said? Despite what I've said about the goodbye being happy, the sadness returned to weigh us both down. We still smiled. Reflecting on all our time together helped lighten the load of sorrow. That and the hug she gave me.

"We never did go to a real baseball game together. Our last one got interrupted."

"I remember, Amy. I was there."

"Yeah." I could hear her getting choked up. The stubborn human refused to show it. "Am I ever gonna see you again?"

"If I'm lucky."

"Seriously. I… you know how I feel by now… I might as well have screamed it at the beach… you giant monster."

"Hahaha!" We shared that. "Of course I do… you puny human."

"High and mighty now, are we?"

I nuzzled the top of her head.

"Never say never, Amy. Maybe Mew-Mew will want to visit Mister Other Lugia sometime."

"Yeah."

"Amy, I just want to-"

"Shut up. I know."

Of course she did. I looked into her orbs as I stroked that brown hair which had sprung into a frizzy mess with all that had gone on today. I bopped her nose with my beak and she giggled cutely.

"April the sixth. That's when you showed up on that beach. I'll force the family into celebrating."

"Oh, you have to force them?"

"Well… you're not THAT great."

"Meanie."

"Seriously though… when I'm… y'know… a distant memory, pop me a thought now and again, okay?"

"Amy-"

"You had to have thought of it!"

"I know." I stroked her hair again. "But listen… the way I feel now? That will never change. And Amy… I will see you again. That I promise."

"Know what?" She patted my neck roughly. "I believe you."

"Of course you do."

"You really are high and mighty."

"Well, I think I can take you one-on-one now."

"Oooh, hiding behind your size and strength! Where have I heard that before?"

"Look in a mirror?"

"'Scuse me?"

"Hahahaha!" Another shared laugh.

"Well, this is it, I guess," Amy murmured, a banner of a smile painted across that face. "You said it isn't goodbye, so I won't say it."

"As you shouldn't."

We winked at each other… and she disappeared to go back to her normal human life once more, though she was anything but.

And that's pretty much my story. I could go on about the wonderful days I've had with my dad so far. Here's the gist of it. It gets better every day. My dad loves me, but that isn't stopping him from putting me through intense father-son training sessions. We have some time to catch up on. I come home to the cave exhausted every night. I thought I knew how to fly well, but apparently I was a fledgling in comparison to what dad wanted. Hard work. But it's fun. Dad and I joke around, take a few breaks for berries and he's even introduced me to my extended family. Aunt Articuno is helping me with my combat skills. I think I'm getting better. Dad disagrees, but I think he's just bitter because I managed to give him a run for his money last night. It's easy to camouflage yourself in the dark when you've got the feathers I've got. Dad and I do I lot together. Even dream. It's everything I could ever want… this new life.

Dad's spent a few nights telling me about mom. How they met. How she loved me. And him. I nearly end up crying every time. Don't worry. It's out of joy.

And we got a letter zapped to us from a certain hybrid today. He's doing well. He's done helping us out in the past and has moved on. Lucan shot us a hello too. Sounds like he's having the time of his life.

Oh, dad's calling me. Wonder if it's about this Manaphy migration he keeps telling me about. I need to go. Apparently, it's beautiful and it only happens once every thousand years. I… suppose I'll leave it at this:

My name is Ventus. Some call me Zack. I've found where I belong. And it's fantastic.

Wait, that's right, I never did explain what the shadow was. What _Edward _was. Well, like I told Vanessa, it's a long story.

A story I intend to tell.

After a few Oran Berries with my dad.

**End of Where I Belong: A Tale of Legendary Birds!**

…

…

…

…

…_I_

…_I…._

…_I…._

…

_I…_

…_alive…_

…_barely…_

…_hate _

…

… _brat…_

…_I… was careless…_

…_reckless…_

…_stupid…_

…_full legendary…_

…_too much…_

…

…

…_perhaps…_

…_time to lower…_

…_standards…_

…

…

…

…_see you…_

…_soon…_

_Axel…_


End file.
